The 5 moments that cemented Gianluigi Buffon as the best goalkeeper ever

Gianluigi Buffon will play his final Serie A match with Juventus on Saturday. Here’s a look at the five moments that stood out most in his great career.

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon confirmed he will play his last game for the Italian league champions on Saturday, although the great goalkeeper has put off any talk of retirement as he considers offers to play overseas.

Widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the game’s history, the 40-year-old Buffon confirmed that Saturday will be his final game for Juventus, but added he’s received “exciting” offers from abroad that changed his mind about hanging up his gloves for good.

Buffon has been playing at the pro level since 1995 when he emerged as Parma’s starting goalkeeper. He played there until 2001 when he became a member of Juventus. First capped by Italy in 1997, Buffon earned 176 caps for the Azzurri, the most of any player for Italy, and helped the team win the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Known for his longevity and ability to stop even what seemed like the most-impossible of shots, Buffon has practically won it all on both the club and national team level, although a Champions League medal still eludes him. It may be the only blemish on what has been a storied career for Buffon. That’s saying a lot given that Italy is no stranger to producing some of the game’s best keepers over the past few decades, including such greats as Dino Zoff, Walter Zenga and Gianluca Pagliuca.

Here’s a look at the five moments from Buffon’s career that helped cement his legacy as one of the greatest goalies the game has ever seen.