At midnight on August 30th, the Champions League draw ceremony will take place in Monaco. Prior to the ceremony, UEFA President Ceferin presented the 2023/24 UEFA President’s Award to Italian legendary goalkeeper Buffon.
The award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement, professional excellence, and exceptional personal qualities. Few goalkeepers have been able to maintain top-level performance as long as Buffon has, performing outstandingly and consistently over his 28-year career.
Buffon has represented the national team 176 times, making him the goalkeeper with the most appearances ever, the player with the most appearances in Italy’s national team history, and the fourth most capped European player of all time. In 2006, Buffon’s career reached its pinnacle when he played a crucial role in helping the Italian team win the World Cup in Germany.
In his club career, Buffon set a record by winning the Serie A title 10 times, the 1999 UEFA Cup, six Italian Cups, and a French Ligue 1 title. His career journey took him from Parma to Juventus and back to Parma, with a brief stint at Paris Saint-Germain.