Legendary Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has hailed Neymar Jr. as the best player he has ever shared a pitch with, even though he has played alongside some of the greatest footballers in history, including Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi. The Italian football icon described Neymar as “special” and firmly believes the Brazilian forward should have won “five Ballon d’Ors.”

In an interview with Corriere della Sera to promote his autobiography, Buffon reflected on his illustrious career, which spanned 29 years and ended in 2023 with his boyhood club, Parma. Over the course of his 975 appearances, Buffon played with countless football legends, but he singled out Neymar as the most exceptional talent. While initially hesitant to pick one player from such a distinguished group, Buffon finally named Neymar, saying, “He is truly special, and he should have won five Ballon d’Ors.”

Buffon and Neymar played together at Paris Saint-Germain during the 2018/2019 season. Despite only spending one season together, Buffon chose Neymar over other legends like Messi, Ronaldo Nazário, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Andrés Iniesta, proving the deep impression Neymar left on him.

Buffon emphasized that the key difference between Neymar and players like Messi and Ronaldo is Neymar’s boundless creativity, both in his goal-scoring and dribbling abilities. Buffon explained that while Messi and Ronaldo have trademark dribbling moves, Neymar’s game is constantly evolving, with his versatility becoming second nature. Buffon further added that while strong teams can contain Messi and Ronaldo, no one can stop Neymar when he is at his best, with his agility and technical skills.