Shortly after the federation confirmed Gravina’s departure, Buffon took to Instagram to announce he was stepping aside as the national team’s head of delegation. “Now that President Gravina has decided to step down, I feel free to perform what I consider a responsible act… The main objective was to lead Italy back to the World Cup. And we did not achieve it,” Buffon wrote in his farewell letter.

According to Italian insider Fabrizio Romano, Gattuso is expected to follow suit, despite initial indications from Gravina earlier this week that the federation wanted him to stay. The double resignation of the top brass has triggered a total restructuring of the Italian soccer hierarchy.

Who could replace Gattuso? Potential candidates emerging

While Gattuso’s departure has not been officially confirmed, Italian media outlets are already circulating names for a potential successor. Two high-profile former managers lead the shortlist:

• Roberto Mancini: The current Al Sadd manager led the Azzurri from 2018 to 2023. While his tenure included the disappointment of missing the 2022 World Cup after a loss to North Macedonia, he famously masterminded Italy’s second-ever UEFA Euro title in the 2020 edition (played in 2021).

• Antonio Conte: Currently at the helm of Napoli, Conte previously managed the national team from 2014 to 2016. Under his guidance, Italy reached the Euro 2016 quarterfinals, where they were narrowly eliminated by Germany in a penalty shootout.

Gattuso’s record with Italy

Gattuso took over as Italy’s head coach in June 2025, stepping in for Luciano Spalletti following a string of poor results during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The legendary former AC Milan midfielder leaves behind a brief but statistically strong record.

In his eight World Cup Qualifying matches at the helm, Gattuso led the Azzurri to six wins, one loss, and one draw (1-1 vs Bosnia that led to the decisive penalty shootout defeat).

Despite what was a largely positive tenure on paper, the failure to meet the primary objective—securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup—has placed his future in doubt.

In a video segment published by GOAL Global, Van der Sar was asked to choose from a group of legendary goalkeepers. While he initially leaned toward Gianluigi Buffon—citing his longevity and consistency—the Dutchman playfully ended up selecting himself as the best ever. His light-hearted response came after careful consideration of several icons in the position.

Alongside Buffon, Van der Sar praised the legacy of numerous greats, including Lev Yashin, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Peter Shilton, Gordon Banks, Sepp Maier, and Dino Zoff. According to ESPN, he acknowledged the distinct qualities of each, showing his deep respect for the evolution of goalkeeping and its history across different eras.

@goalglobal Edwin van der Sar chooses the greatest goalkeeper ever in winner stays on 🥊 Van der Sar was speaking to GOAL on behalf of bet365, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League #football #championsleague #manchesterunited #soccer #vandersar ♬ original sound – GOAL

Van Der Sar names greatest Manchester United player of all time

When asked to name the greatest player in Manchester United history, Van der Sar faced another difficult challenge. The shortlist included global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, George Best, Denis Law, and Sir Bobby Charlton—names that define the club’s decorated past. Yet, the former United goalkeeper made a surprising and thoughtful selection.

In a similar GOAL video format, Van der Sar ultimately picked Paul Scholes as the club’s all-time greatest player. While admitting the choice wasn’t easy, he emphasized Scholes’ intelligence, technical ability, and impact on the pitch as key reasons behind his decision—marking an unexpected but respectful tribute to the legendary midfielder.

Van der Sar’s career path

Van der Sar began his professional journey with Ajax in 1990, where he quickly emerged as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. During his nine seasons in Amsterdam, he helped the team win multiple Eredivisie titles and lifted the UEFA Champions League in 1995. His ability to read the game, distribute the ball, and lead from the back helped shape the role of the modern goalkeeper.

In 1999, he joined Juventus, becoming the first non-Italian goalkeeper to regularly start for the club. Though his time in Turin featured some challenges—including intense competition and inconsistent form—it offered him further experience in top-tier European soccer. After two seasons, he sought a fresh start in the English Premier League.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Van der Sar became a cornerstone of one of the most successful Manchester United sides in recent history. He won four Premier League titles, two League Cups, and the 2008 UEFA Champions League. His iconic penalty save in the final against Chelsea remains one of the most celebrated moments of his soccer career.

Van der Sar retired in 2011 at age 40, having earned more than 130 caps for the Netherlands and building a reputation as one of football’s most consistent and composed goalkeepers. Since retiring, he has taken on executive roles at Ajax, contributing significantly to the club’s growth both on and off the pitch.

In an interview with the Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Buffon named Neymar Jr. as the most challenging player he has ever faced, even going so far as to say the Brazilian should have won multiple Ballon d’Or awards.

“It’s hard to choose just one opponent. I played against three generations: Zidane, Ronaldo [Nazário], Messi, Cristiano, Iniesta… Choose one? Neymar. For the player and the person he is, he should have won five Ballon d’Ors,” Buffon explained.

While he singled out Neymar as his toughest rival, Buffon also acknowledged the dominance of teams led by Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez at Barcelona, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid. “The Barcelona of 2015 and Real Madrid of 2017 were the strongest teams of the last 20 years,” he said.

Neymar’s Ballon d’Or journey

Despite being considered one of the most talented players of his generation, Neymar has yet to claim the Ballon d’Or. His closest attempts came in 2015 and 2017, finishing third behind Messi and Ronaldo. Those seasons were defined by Champions League triumphs for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, with Neymar playing a starring role in 2015.

Buffon on Messi and Ronaldo

Although he didn’t choose Messi or Ronaldo as the toughest opponents, Buffon had high praise for both legends. “In the 2015 Champions League final, I felt a hand on my back—it was Messi. He whispered in my ear, ‘Gigi, shall we swap shirts?’ The great ones are never arrogant,” Buffon recalled of the Argentine superstar.

As for Ronaldo, Buffon had the unique opportunity to play alongside him during their time at Juventus. “With Cristiano, we always had a great relationship. I saw in him a mix of incredible strength and fragility tied to the absence of his father and the tough journey he faced,” the Italian said.

Buffon’s legendary career

From 1995 to 2023, Buffon built an illustrious career, appearing in 975 professional matches and conceding 825 goals—an extraordinary record for a goalkeeper. The Italian collected 28 trophies, highlighted by the 2006 World Cup. However, the one title that eluded him was the coveted Champions League.

After retiring at age 45 with Parma, the club where he first made his mark, Buffon took a moment to reflect on the toughest challenges he faced throughout his nearly three-decade-long career.

In a 2018 interview, Buffon highlighted who were the three most difficult forwards he has ever faced, and without hesitation the Italian said: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo Nazário.

“I’ve played against many great players,” Buffon said, before singling out these icons. “I can’t remember them all, but Messi, Cristiano, and Ronaldo are the three best who tested me throughout my career,” said the legendary Italian goalkeeper.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance against Buffon

Cristiano Ronaldo’s record against Buffon is well-documented. In eight matches, Ronaldo scored nine goals against Buffon, including a brace in the 2016/17 Champions League final and a stunning bicycle kick in the following season. Despite those moments, Buffon still saw Messi as the more complete player.

Messi didn’t find the net against Buffon until 2017, but that didn’t stop the Italian legend from praising the Argentine: “They’re two completely different players,” Buffon explained. “Messi is more complete, with better technical quality and the vision of a playmaker more than a traditional forward.”

Buffon went on to note how Ronaldo’s game has evolved with age. “Cristiano, maybe because he’s a bit older, has become a true goal scorer,” Buffon added. “Compared to before, Ronaldo conserves more energy now. He doesn’t drift wide to take on defenders as much, but if you give him the ball in the box, he’ll find the back of the net.”

Buffon’s admiration for these three forwards reflects the extraordinary challenges they posed, even to one of the best goalkeepers to ever play the game.

It was at Juventus where Gianluigi Buffon truly cemented his legacy, winning 21 titles and capturing the 2006 FIFA World Cup for Italy. Now at Parma the 45-year-old shared a story on Twitch about the time he lost $11 million playing for PSG.

Speaking with former Italy teammate Christian Vieri, Buffon revealed that he lost that sum of money when he left PSG due to issues of playing time.

Why did Gianluigi Buffon give up $11 million?

“Leaving was the biggest mistake of my life, I gave up €10 million ($11m).

“They told me that [Alphonse] Areola would play in the Champions League and I didn’t accept it. For me, the one who deserves it plays. That’s why I returned to Juve.

“Then I regretted it, because Areola was injured, and they signed Keylor Navas in his place!

“[Paris] was the most beautiful experience of my life. I felt like a free man. I quickly learned French, talked to people on the street, and visited museums… I had the feeling of playing in a great team.”

Now former teammate and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon shed some light on what the Italian Old Lady was missing during CR7 time at the club. In speaking with TUDN, Buffon stated, “Juventus had the chance to win the Champions League the first year (Ronaldo) arrived, which was the year I was at Paris Saint-Germain, and I couldn’t figure out what happened,”

Buffon admitted when he returned to the club after being at PSG the culture at the locker room had changed and this hampered the team in their greater goals. Here is what Buffon had to say about playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gianluigi Buffon on Cristiano Ronaldo during their time at Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon went on stating, “When I returned, I worked with Ronaldo for two years and we did well together, but I think Juventus lost that DNA of being a team. We reached the Champions League final in 2017 because we were a side full of experience, but above all we were a single unit and there was this competition for places within the group that was very strong. We lost that with Ronaldo.”

Various teammates have stated that during Ronaldo’s time at Juventus many of the players had lost the desire to work hard alongside the mega star. Giorgio Chiellini, told DAZN, that the team and player needed new goals after the 3 seasons were up. Many players felt that it was a one man show rather than a team effort.

For sure,Gigiwould be remembered as one of the greatestgoalkeepers of all time. Lev Yashin, Gordon Banks, Peter Schmeichel, Jorge Campos, Iker Casillas: the Italian can stare right into the eyes of all these soccer legends.

Buffon has won a FIFA World Cup in 2006 and basically every single local tournament with Juventus. He has tried the bitter taste of being a runner-up of the two European soccer top tournaments: the Eurocup and the UEFA Champions League. Also, he has played twice in Italian second division, even when he already was a star (right now he helps Parma, the club in which he was born, to come back to Serie A). What experience could represent a brand new challenge for his career?

Could it be possible to have Gianluigi Buffon on the MLS?

On an interview with Barcelona‘s and Bulgaria‘s superstar Hristo Stoichkov,Gigiadmited that the experience of crossing the ocean to be part of the MLS, or even the Liga MX, is something he would consider to spend thelast days of his career.

“(Playing in the United States or Mexico) All of themare experiences that I would be pleased to have for the last days of my career“, Gigisaid. What he does not have still clear is if this adventure could be inside or outside the field, as a manager or as a directing.

However, Buffon has something clear: he is on mission right now, a special one. He does not want to leave Italy until his beloved Parma returns to Italian First Division (Serie A). After that, it could be possible to enjoy the mightyAzzurrogoalkeeper on the American continent.