Italian legendary goalkeeper Buffon wins the 2024 UEFA President's Award

UEFA has officially announced that its President, Aleksander Ceferin, has awarded the 2024 UEFA President's Award to former Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, honoring the legendary goalkeeper. This award aims to recognize outstanding achievements, professionalism, and exceptional personal qualities. Few goalkeepers have maintained top-level performance as consistently and for as long as Buffon, who had an impressive 28-year professional career.

Buffon made 176 appearances for the Italian national team, making him the most-capped goalkeeper in history, the most-capped player in the history of the Italian national team, and the fourth-most capped player for a European national team ever. Buffon's career peaked in 2006 when he played a crucial role in Italy's World Cup-winning campaign.

During his club career, Buffon set records by winning 10 Serie A titles, the 1999 UEFA Cup, 6 Coppa Italia titles, and 1 Ligue 1 title. His career took him from Parma to Juventus, then briefly to Paris Saint-Germain, and finally back to Parma.

The 2024 UEFA President's Award will be presented to Buffon during the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony, which will be held on August 29 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.