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Gianluigi Buffon has confirmed his retirement with an emotional video released on Twitter.
The legendary Italian goalkeeper brings an end to his incredible 28-year career that has seen him play for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. The 45-year-old ends his astonishing footballing journey at his boyhood club Parma.
Gianluigi Buffon took to Twitter to confirm the anticipated news that he was hanging up his gloves. He captioned a video displaying some of his best moments:
"That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together."
Gianluigi Buffon will go down as one of, if not, the greatest goalkeepers in history. He was one of the best shot-stoppers the game has ever seen as he continued to keep teams at bay in his later years.
The Italy footballing icon played a joint 1,151 pro games at club and international level. He won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Gli Azzurri, playing a key role as his nation triumphed on penalties. He ended his international career with 77 clean sheets in 176 caps.
Buffon is also one of Italian football's most decorated players in history at club level. He won an astounding ten Serie A titles with Juventus and six Coppa Italia trophies. He made 685 appearances for the Old Lady, keeping 322 clean sheets.
The iconic shot-stopper left Juve for PSG in 2019 and added a Ligue 1 title to his trophy cabinet. He featured 25 times for the Parisians keeping nine clean sheets before returning to his boyhood club Parma in 2021.
He continued playing into his forties with I Crociati, and ends his career with a record of 98 clean sheets in 265 games. Buffon is truly one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.
Iker Casillas' brilliant tribute to Gianluigi Buffon after his international retirement in 2017
Gianluigi Buffon brought an end to his international career in 2017 and was emotional when announcing the news. It came after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Sweden in the playoffs.
The Juventus legend was in tears in his post-match interview, but his longtime rival and friend Iker Casillas sent him a message, tweeting:
"I don't like seeing you like this! I want to see you as until now, as what you continue to be for many: a LEGEND. Proud to know you and proud to have faced you many times. You still have to delight us in football friend! #1."
The goalkeeping duo managed 13 league titles, 42 major trophies and 343 caps between them. They squared off with one another many times during their illustrious careers, and both are two of the all-time greats.
Casillas, a Real Madrid icon, retired in August 2020 after a storied career, while Buffon has also now played his last game.
