With a remarkable 29-year career spanning over 900 matches, 10 Serie A titles with Juventus, and a World Cup victory with Italy, Gianluigi Buffon is a soccer icon. Recently, he shared the name of the player who gave him the most trouble on the pitch, and the choice was surprising: it wasn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
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 scores for Barcelona against Juventus at the 2015 UEFA Champions League final. IMAGO
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.
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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.
