On 12 June 2017 , Buffon announced that the 2017 – 18 season would likely be his last with the club . On 4 August , Buffon was named one of the three finalists for the Goalkeeper of the 2016 – 17 UEFA Champions League season award , along with Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak . On 15 August , Buffon was also listed as one of the three finalists for the 2017 UEFA Best Player of the Year Award , along with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo . On 19 August , Buffon made history by saving the first Serie A penalty awarded via VAR in a 3 – 0 home win over Cagliari in the club 's opening league match of the season . On 24 August , he was named the best goalkeeper of the 2016 – 17 Champions League season , He also placed third in the UEFA Men 's Player of the Year Award , with 109 votes . On 23 October , Buffon won the inaugural 2017 Best FIFA Goalkeeper award , and was named to the FIFPro World XI for the third time in his career ; he was also nominated for the 2017 Best FIFA Men 's Player Award , finishing in fourth place in the voting . On 27 November , Buffon won the Serie A Footballer of the Year award , the first time a goalkeeper has won the award , along with the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the twelfth time , while being named to the Serie A Team of the Year for the fifth time in his career . On 3 December , he equalled Casillas by winning the IFFHS World 's Best Goalkeeper Award for a record fifth time , and on 7 December , he placed fourth in the 2017 Ballon d'Or . Following Juventus 's 1 – 0 away victory against fellow title contenders Napoli on 1 December , Buffon was ruled out of Juventus 's final Champions League group match against Olympiacos four days later , after picking up a calf strain in the previous match , an injury which kept him sidelined for almost two months ; was replaced by his deputy Wojciech Szczęsny in goal during his absence
2017 Ballon d'Or
2017 Ballon d'Or
Gianluigi Buffon