• Juventus, Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon announces retirement from football at the age of 45

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    Juventus, Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon announces retirement from football at the age of 45


    Buffon began his career at Parma before moving on to Juventus in 2001, where he primarily flourished until a brief stay at PSG during the 2018–19 season. 

    Digital Desk: At the age of 45, Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement on Wednesday. During his career, he won the World Cup with Italy, won numerous titles with Juventus, and was widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in soccer for many years. Buffon departs the sport with the same team with which he started his professional career nearly three decades ago because he had one season remaining on his contract with Parma in Serie B.

    Buffon's exploits include helping Juventus win 10 Serie A titles and winning the World Cup in 2006. He also won the Ligue 1 championship while playing for Paris St. Germain. "That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together," Buffon wrote on social media.

    Buffon, who is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, had a difficult final season due to injuries after returning to Parma, the team where his career began, and now playing in the Italian second division.

    Buffon began his career at Parma before moving on to Juventus in 2001, where he primarily flourished until a brief stay at PSG during the 2018–19 season. He then travelled back to Turin before capping his playing career in June 2021 with Parma.


    The 2006 World Cup was the high point of Buffon's career; he conceded just two goals in seven games as the Azzurri won the championship. Neither of those two goals was scored by an opponent during open play. One was an own goal scored by Cristian Zaccardo's teammate in the championship game, and the other was a penalty shot by Zinedine Zidane.

    Juventus' ten Serie A championships were largely made possible by Buffon, who remained with the team even after the 2006 "Calciopoli" incident, which resulted in the team's relegation to Serie B. He contributed to Bianconeri's second-division title a year after they had won the World Cup.

    The Champions League, which Buffon lost three times with Juventus—to AC Milan in 2003, Barcelona in 2015, and Real Madrid in 2017—was the only significant trophy lacking from his career.

    In 2018, Buffon departed Juventus for Paris Saint-Germain before coming back as Wojciech Szczesny's backup in 2019. He returned to Parma in 2021 with much emotion.