'I played against Ronaldo, Messi and Zidane – one player was better than all of them'

Goalkeeping icon Gianluigi Buffon has declared that out of all the legendary players he has shared the pitch with, Brazilian star Neymar takes the top spot.

The Italian shot stopper himself is one of the game’s greatest players and is able to boast over 1,000 appearances at the highest level. Having played for Parma and Juventus, both on two occasions, the 46-year-old also spent time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he played alongside Lionel Messi and the aforementioned Neymar.

Buffon won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus, and on his second spell with the club he counted Cristiano Ronaldo as a team-mate. He also faced Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final where Buffon helped his country become champions of the world by beating France on penalties.

However, he has reserved his most effusive praise for his former PSG peer. Buffon and Neymar only played together on 13 occasions during the 2018/19 season, yet the goalkeeper insists the Brazilian deserved so much more in his career.

“I played with three generations of footballers,” Buffon said when speaking Corriere della Sera. “How can I say it? Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, CR7, Iniesta. Neymar [was the best]. He should have won five Ballon d’Or for the player and the person he is.”

Buffon’s preference to side with Neymar when discussing who his finest may baffle some fans who consider the former Barcelona star the epitome of unfulfilled potential. Neymar caught the eye at Santos before moving to the Camp Nou where he won two league titles and the Champions League.

He then made a move to PSG where five Ligue 1 titles and a Champions League final appearance followed. However the 32-year-old called time on his career in Europe in 2023 when he moved to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal.

His move to Saudi Arabia has been plagued with serious injury, and at just 32, many feel the forward could have achieved so much more. While Neymar scored 118 times whilst in Paris, and also surpassed a century of goals for Barcelona, the Ballon d’Or always eluded him. 

Despite granting Neymar the lofty accolade of his finest colleague, he was also full of praise for Messi and Ronaldo. He added: “Champions League final in 2015. Half-time. I felt a hand on my back: ‘Gigi, shall we swap shirts now?’. It was Messi. The truly great never put on airs.

“With Cristiano, on the other hand, I have always had a wonderful relationship: confidences, judgments on the new talents. I saw in him a great strength and also a fragility, linked to the absence of his father, to the hard path he had to face.”

At the age of just 17, Buffon made his debut for Parma against, then Italian champions, Milan. The three-time Champions League finalist also eulogised Milan icon Paolo Maldini and how the celebrated defender reassured him at such a pivotal moment in his young life.

“Inside the tunnel, I looked into the eyes of Weah, Boban, Costacurta, and Baresi,” Buffon said. “At some point, somebody gave me a pat on the shoulder. It was Paolo Maldini who encouraged me.

“He also debuted in Serie A as a teenager and knew what it meant. I will never forget that gesture. He was an immense footballer, and he has two qualities I admire the most: loyalty and courage.”