Sagnol, a right-back, took a touch, looked up, and located Zidane with an accurate cross that eluded Italy's defenders. With the score tied at 1-1 in the 104th minute of added time, French captain Zidane played a pass from the centre of Italy's half to Willy Sagnol on his right. However, one moment stood out as a testament to his status as a world-class player. Zinedine Zidaneĭuring the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Buffon displayed his goalkeeping brilliance by conceding just one non-penalty goal in seven games. Despite the disappointment, Buffon regarded the save against Inzaghi as the most challenging of his illustrious career. In the background, Buffon celebrated with a double fist pump.Īlthough Buffon's heroics kept the match goalless, Milan eventually triumphed in the penalty shootout, denying Buffon the coveted Champions League trophy. So when he saw his header directed wide, all he could do at that moment was sit on his knees and place his hands on his head. Inzaghi must have been convinced he had scored his 31st goal of the 2002-03 season. However, the incredible Buffon reacted in the blink of an eye, stretching out his hand to make a breath-taking save. In the 17th minute, Milan's Filippo Inzaghi unleashed a thunderous header toward Buffon's goal, seemingly destined for the back of the net. And just like in his debut against the Rossoneri eight years prior, he frustrated his opponent with an all-time save. Two years later, Buffon was playing in his first-ever UEFA Champions League final, against AC Milan. Buffon's most difficult saveīuffon made a record-breaking move from Juventus for €52million in July 2001, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper signing in the world at the time. He was pictured celebrating Parma's Coppa Italia victory the following season in that same T-shirt and when Buffon rejoined Parma in 2021, the club announced his return with the hashtag #SupermanReturns. The save preserved a clean sheet in a win over the visiting Inter Milan, but from a legacy perspective, it also cemented Buffon's status as football's Superman. The shirt had been given to Buffon by the Parma fans a few days before the Inter match. Immediately, Buffon faced the Parma fans behind his goal - before the ball had even been cleared from his box - and celebrated the save by showing the faithful a Superman T-shirt. In a March 8 match against Inter Milan, Buffon spectacularly saved a Ronaldo Nazario penalty by diving low to his left and getting two hands in front of the shot. Fans especially loved the young goalkeeper for his aerial prowess, agility and ability to make Superman-esque diving saves, prompting them to nickname him 'Superman.'īuffon played into the superhero persona.

The birth of Supermanīy the 1997-98 season, 20-year-old Buffon was Parma's regular starting goalkeeper and a fan favourite. Buffon's exceptional debut left legendary shot-stopper Dino Zoff in awe - he said he'd never seen a debut quite like Buffon's, a testament to the young goalkeeper's potential.

He took a couple of steps forward as Simone set himself up, then dove to his left side and parried the shot away. It looked like a certain goal, but Buffon anticipated Simone's shot perfectly. The Italian's first touch settled the ball, and he twisted his body to shoot from just outside of Parma's six-yard box. Marco Simone found himself in a prime scoring position after a header redirected a Milan corner kick to his feet. 19, 1995, a teenage Buffon gave Parma fans and Serie A enthusiasts their first glimpse of his talent by stopping the likes of Roberto Baggio and George Weah.īut the young Buffon's best stop came with only minutes to play. In a remarkable debut match against AC Milan on Nov. It says a lot about Buffon's quality when he outshone two Ballon d'Or winners and a team of world-class talents as a 17-year-old. Let's take a look at five saves that were not only incredible, but also defined different parts of Buffon's career and character. Throughout his 28-year career, Buffon made countless awe-inspiring saves that solidified his status as a goalkeeping legend, from penalty saves against the football's finest to stops that seemingly define reality. A revered figure in football, Buffon's legacy as one of the sport's greatest goalkeepers and characters is undeniable. Gianluigi Buffon, the iconic goalkeeper with more than 1,000 professional appearances, has announced his retirement at the age of 45. Gianluigi Buffon retires: Five saves that defined his career You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser

Gigi buffon saves three penalties