In an interview given to Corriere della Seraon the sidelines of the release of his autobiography this Tuesday in Italy, Gianluigi Buffon gave the name of the player who most impressed him during his long career. And the legendary Italian goalkeeper chose a former PSG player.
His immense career spanned nearly three decades. A longevity which allowed Gianluigi Buffon to rub shoulders with the elite of world football, between his debut in 1994 in Parma and his retirement in the summer of 2023, after a final stint with his training club. The legendary Italian goalkeeper encountered all the greatest talents of his time, whether in his team or against him.
During an interview given to Corriere della Seraon the sidelines of the release of his autobiography Fall, get up, fall, get up this Tuesday in Italy, the ex-Juventus goalkeeper was asked to give the name of the strongest player he faced during all these years.
“I played with three generations, how to choose between Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, CR7, Iniesta…”, first responded the 2006 world champion.
But “Gigi” was asked to make a choice, to name just one footballer. “Neymar, for the player and the man that he is,” said the former boss of the Nazionale, now 46 years old. “He should have won five Ballon d’Ors.” Gianluigi Buffon knows the Brazilian artist well, whom he has often seen at work in the Champions League. The two men were also teammates during a season at PSG, in 2018-2019.
Neymar has only played 428 minutes since joining Al Hilal
Undermined by injuries, criticized for his lifestyle and his lack of professionalism, Neymar never won the prestigious individual trophy that everyone promised him when he arrived at Barça from Santos in 2013. The top scorer of the history of the Seleçao has still reached the podium of the Ballon d’Or twice, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (2015, 2017). But many believe that his extraordinary talent should have allowed him to put his name on the list.
At 32, his career is not yet officially over, but it is difficult to imagine today Neymar in the race for a Ballon d’Or, when he has only played 428 minutes in seven appearances with Al Hilal since his arrival in Saudi Arabia almost a year and a half ago. Barely back on the field after a serious knee injury and a long series of physical problems, the Brazilian was hit in the right thigh after thirty minutes on November 4 in the Asian Champions League. He has a hamstring problem and is not expected to play again until 2025, at best.
