Former Parma, Juventus, PSG and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed who his best opponent was - and he left out several world-class players.
Buffon, 46, was arguably one of the most admired shot-stoppers of his generation and is best known for being part of Italy’s starting XI during their 2006 World Cup-winning campaign in Germany.
But the Italian was so much more than this, he played over 1,100 professional games, winning ten Serie A titles, and a Ligue 1 crown, just to name a few of the trophies in his collection.
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During his lengthy career, he played against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi, but named another former Barcelona man as his toughest-ever opponent.
“I played with three generations of footballers,” Buffon said when speaking Corriere della Sera.
“How can I say it? Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, CR7, Iniesta…” he explained.
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“Neymar [was the best]. He should have won five Ballon d’Or for the player and the person he is.”
Neymar, 32, is currently playing in the Saudi Pro League for Al Hilal, having joined the club from PSG in August 2023.
The pair were teammates during their spells in the French capital, playing together on 13 occasions during the 2018/19 season.
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Buffon also praised Italian icon Paolo Maldini, who played for opponents AC Milan during Buffon’s Serie A debut for Parma when he was still just 17 years old.
“Inside the tunnel, I looked into the eyes of Weah, Boban, Costacurta, and Baresi,” the 45-year-old explained.
“At some point, somebody gave me a pat on the shoulder. It was Paolo Maldini who encouraged me.
“He also debuted in Serie A as a teenager and knew what it meant. I will never forget that gesture. He was an immense footballer, and he has two qualities I admire the most: loyalty and courage.”
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Despite his long list of achievements, Buffon never managed to get his hands on the Champions League.
The Italian lost in the final on three occasions despite being named in the Champions League squad of the season twice.
Buffon is now part of the Italian national team’s backroom staff.
Topics: Gianluigi Buffon, Football, Italy, Juventus, Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain, Serie A
Luke Davies