Gianluigi Buffon to receive UEFA President's Award
Monday, August 26, 2024
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The legendary Italy goalkeeper has been hailed by Aleksander Čeferin for his "tremendous ability, longevity, determination and consistency who was an inspiration to football fans the world over."
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UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has paid tribute to Gianluigi Buffon by selecting the former Italy goalkeeper to receive the 2024 UEFA President's Award.
The award recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities. Few, if any goalkeepers have remained at the top of the game for as long as Buffon, whose remarkable and consistent performances spanned an astonishing 28-year playing career.
With 176 international appearances Buffon is the most capped goalkeeper of all time, the most capped player in the history of the Italy national team and the fourth-most capped European player ever. He reached the pinnacle of his career in 2006, playing an instrumental role as Italy won the FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Buffon won a record ten Serie A titles, the 1999 UEFA Cup, six Coppa Italia trophies and Ligue 1 during a club career which took him from Parma to Juventus and back, with a short spell with Paris Saint-Germain.
"Gianluigi Buffon is a player I've admired since he first emerged as a young, charismatic goalkeeper for Parma in the mid-nineties. Beyond his commanding presence between the posts, his longevity and determination make him an inspiration to football fans worldwide. His remarkable consistency across generations might lead many to believe that staying at the top is easy. The fact that he chose to follow his club to Serie B during his prime, despite being sought after by top clubs around the world, speaks volumes. Buffon is also one of the first athletes to openly discuss mental health and depression, helping to raise crucial awareness of this issue in professional sports."
The goalkeeper made a habit of making incredible saves in finals – just ask Filippo Inzaghi (2003 UEFA Champions League final) or Dani Alves (same competition in 2015). Like a great Italian wine, he only got better with age, winning the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year Award at 39 after Juventus reached their second Champions League final in three years.
Buffon finally hung up his gloves little over a year ago, ending his career where it all started back in November 1995 with Parma: “That’s all folks!” he said, having guaranteed his status as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game. “You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”
The award will be presented to Buffon at the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 36-team league phase draw ceremony, which will take place on Thursday 29 August at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The list of previous winners of the UEFA President's Award can be found here.