UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has paid tribute to Gianluigi Buffon by selecting the former Italy goalkeeper as the recipient of the 2024 UEFA President's Award for being "an inspiration to football fans around the world".

The award recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities. Few goalkeepers have enjoyed the career of the Italian, who joined Parma at the age of 13 and stayed with the Emilia-Romagna side for six seasons after making his debut in 1995.

Impressive performances for his team led to a move to Turin giants Juventus, where he went on to win nineteen domestic titles (nine Serie A, one Serie B, Coppa Italia four times and Supercoppa Italiana five times).

As well as playing for the Piedmontese giants, he also had a spell in the French capital with Paris Saint-Germain, where he played in the 2018/2019 season, before returning to finish his career with the club where it all began, his beloved Parma, in Serie B between 2021 and 2023.

He played in four European Championships and five FIFA World Cups with the Azzurri, with his greatest success coming at the 2006 World Cup, when Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties in the final.

In an astonishing 28-year career, he was capped 176 times, making him the most capped goalkeeper of all time, the most capped player in the history of the Italian national team and the fourth most capped European player of all time.

"Gianluigi Buffon is a player I've admired since he emerged as a young and charismatic goalkeeperat Parma in the mid-nineties. As well as his commanding presence between the sticks, his longevity and determination make him an inspiration to football fans around the world," said UEFA President Ceferin.

"His remarkable consistency over the generations might lead many to believe that it is easy to stay at the top. The fact that he chose to follow his club down to Serie B in his prime, despite being coveted by top clubs around the world, speaks volumes. Buffon was also one of the first athletes to speak openly about mental health and depression, helping to raise crucial awareness of the issue in professional sport," said the 56-year-old Slovenian, who heads European football's governing body.

The award will be presented to Buffon at the draw ceremony for the 36-team league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday 29 August.

Previous winners of the UEFA President's Award:

- 1998: Jacques Delors (European Commission, France)

- 1999: No award

- 2000: Guy Roux (France)

- 2001: Juan Santisteban (Spain)

- 2002: Sir Bobby Robson (England)

- 2003: Paolo Maldini (Italy)

- 2004: Ernie Walker (Scotland)

- 2005: Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands)

- 2006: Wilfried Straub (Germany)

- 2007: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain)

- 2008: Sir Bobby Charlton (England)

- 2009: Eusébio (Portugal)

- 2010: Raymond Kopa (France)

- 2011: Gianni Rivera (Italy)

- 2012: Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)

- 2013: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

- 2014: Josef Masopust (Czech Republic)

- 2015: No award

- 2016: No award

- 2017: Francesco Totti (Italy)

- 2018: David Beckham (England)

- 2019: Eric Cantona (France)

- 2020: Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

- 2021: Simon Kjær and the Copenhagen EURO 2020 medical team (Denmark)

- 2022: Arrigo Sacchi (Italy)

- 2023: Miroslav Klose (Germany)