As a boy Gianluigi Buffon played in midfield. Then, at 14, both of his team's goalkeepers were injured and it was his turn to go in goal. He never left: he played until he was 45 and set the record for Serie A appearances.
A family of athletes
Buffon was born in Carrara on 28 January 1978. Sport ran in the family: his mother was a three-time Italian champion in shot put and discus, his father was also an athlete and his sisters played volleyball at a high level.
He started at local clubs between La Spezia and Carrara and joined Parma's youth teams at 13. As a midfielder.
The day he went in goal
At 14 both of the team's goalkeepers were injured at the same time and the coach put him in goal. Buffon had a clear role model: Thomas N'Kono, Cameroon's goalkeeper, whom he had watched at the 1990 World Cup.
He felt at home straight away: tall, quick and fearless. He never went back.
A starter at 17, against Milan
On 19 November 1995 Parma's first-choice goalkeeper, Luca Bucci, was injured. Buffon, aged 17, made his Serie A debut against Milan, one of the strongest teams in the world: it ended 0-0 and he was one of the best players on the pitch.
Juventus, the World Cup and Serie B
In 2001 Juventus bought him for 75 billion lire plus a player's registration: at that time no goalkeeper had ever cost so much.
In 2006 he won the World Cup with Italy and FIFA named him the best goalkeeper of the tournament. A few weeks later Juventus were sent down to Serie B: he stayed, played a season in the second division and helped bring the club back to the top.
Until 45
After a season at Paris Saint-Germain (2018-19) and his return to Juventus, in 2021 he went back to Parma, where it all began. He retired on 2 August 2023.
The numbers: 648 Serie A appearances (a record), 176 caps for Italy and, in the 2015-16 season, 974 minutes in a row without conceding.
What you can learn if you're a goalkeeper
The tips below are ideas taken from this story, not promises: every career is different.
- Changing position is not a failure: many goalkeepers started elsewhere, and being good with your feet is an advantage today.
- Be ready: your first chance often comes suddenly, even because a teammate gets injured.
- Pick a role model and study them: positioning, coming off the line, how they talk to the defence.
- A long career is built: training, recovery and mindset add years.
Sources
Facts checked on 29 September 2026 against public sources. No sentence is invented or put in the player's mouth. Found a mistake? Write to us.