UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: runner-up 2012
UEFA EURO 2012: Team of the Tournament
UEFA EURO 2008: Team of the Tournament
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2003
UEFA Cup: winner 1999
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: winner 1996
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2003
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 2003
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2006

• Born in Carrara, Tuscany, Buffon joined the youth system at Parma in 1991 and by 17 had made his Serie A debut in a 0-0 draw with AC Milan on 19 November 1995.

• Buffon hails from a sporting family. His father was a shot-putter, his mother a discus thrower, and his two sisters are volleyball players. His grandfather's cousin, Lorenzo Buffon, played in goal for Milan.

• A participant at the 1996 Olympics, Buffon made his senior debut for Italy aged 19 as an emergency substitute for the injured Gianluca Pagliuca in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Russia. He replaced Pagliuca as the Azzurri No1 during UEFA EURO 2000 qualification but missed the final tournament with an injured hand.

• A UEFA Cup winner with Parma in 1999 against Olympique de Marseille in the Moscow final, he became the world's costliest keeper when he joined Juventus for €52m two years later. He saved two penalties in the 2003 UEFA Champions League final shoot-out against Milan at Old Trafford but still ended up on the losing side.

• Started all of Italy's matches at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and UEFA EURO 2004. Conceded only two goals in seven matches during Italy's triumph in Germany – an own-goal and a penalty – yet made no saves in the final shoot-out victory over France.

• Celebrated his 100th outing for the Azzurri by keeping a clean sheet as Italy drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in a Pescara friendly on 14 November 2009. He started the opening match at the 2010 World Cup but was substituted at half-time against Paraguay with a sciatic nerve problem, from which he would not return until the following January.

• Remained with Juventus after their enforced relegation to Serie B in 2006 and missed just three matches in the second tier as the Bianconeri made an immediate return to Italy's top division − passed 300 league appearances for La Vecchia Signora during the 2011/12 season in which unbeaten Juventus won their 28th Italian championship.

• Buffon received a commemorative cap and medal from UEFA to mark his century of international appearances on 11 October 2011, before Italy's 3-0 win against Northern Ireland in UEFA European Championship qualifying: "I feel I'm entering the football nobility today and I'm happy to celebrate this milestone while still playing," he said.

• Played in every match and was named in the Team of the Tournament as Italy finished runners-up to Spain at UEFA EURO 2012.