Gianluigi Buffon stands as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history. He defined an entire generation of Italian defense with his leadership and longevity. Furthermore, he played professionally for nearly thirty years before he finally retired. Consequently, his career holds many surprising stories beyond his famous saves. Explore these fascinating details about the man they call "Superman."
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon started his career as a midfielder before he switched positions. He changed his mind after watching Thomas N’Kono play for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup.
He famously suffers from spheksophobia, which is a severe fear of wasps. Once, Fabio Capello had to convince him to play because there were too many insects on the pitch.
Buffon holds the record for the most appearances in Serie A history. Specifically, he played 657 matches in the Italian top flight to beat Paolo Maldini’s previous record.
Amazingly, he played alongside both a father and his son during his long career. He won trophies with Enrico Chiesa at Parma in the 1990s and later with Federico Chiesa at Juventus.
He comes from a family of incredible professional athletes. His mother was a discus thrower, his father lifted weights, and his two sisters played volleyball for the Italian national team.
Fans nicknamed him “Superman” after he wore a superhero shirt during a match. He revealed the blue ‘S’ logo under his jersey after saving a penalty for Parma against Inter Milan.
Sadly, the Champions League trophy remains the only major title he never won. Although he reached the final three times with Juventus, he lost every single one of them.
He stayed with Juventus even after they were relegated to Serie B in 2006. While other stars left the club, he showed loyalty by playing in the second division to help them return.
Gianluigi Buffon named his first son Louis Thomas to honor his childhood idol. He wanted to pay tribute to the Cameroonian goalkeeper Thomas N’Kono who inspired him to play in goal.
He kept a clean sheet on his professional debut at just 17 years old. Remarkably, he stopped world-class strikers like Roberto Baggio and George Weah to earn a 0-0 draw against AC Milan.
The goalkeeper openly discussed his battle with depression early in his career. Bravely, he visited a psychologist during the 2003 season to overcome panic attacks without taking medication.
He briefly wore the number 88 jersey at Parma but changed it quickly. He switched numbers because critics pointed out that the number had unfortunate accidental links to neo-Nazi symbols.
Gianluigi Buffon is the oldest goalkeeper to ever save a penalty in Serie A. He was 43 years old when he stopped a spot-kick from Domenico Berardi in 2021.
He managed to play in four different decades as a professional footballer. His career spanned from the mid-1990s all the way through to his final retirement in 2023.
Finally, he currently serves as the Head of Delegation for the Italy national team. He took this role immediately after retiring to help the next generation of players succeed.
