Former Italy goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that Lionel Messi asking for his shirt after the 2015 UEFA Champions League final, was one of the most remarkable moments in his football career.
The match, held at the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin, saw Buffon’s Juventus face off against Lionel Messi’s formidable Barcelona team.
The game kicked off with fireworks when Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic found the back of the net just four minutes in, stunning the Juventus defence and giving the Spanish side an early lead.
However, Alvaro Morata managed to equalize for the Bianconeri in the 55th minute, reigniting hopes for the Italian side. But Barcelona quickly took control again when Luis Suarez scored in the 68th minute, a goal made possible by a parried effort from Buffon, who was unable to keep out Messi’s initial strike.
In the dying moments of the match, Neymar sealed Barcelona’s victory with a third goal, making it 3-1 in the seventh minute of injury time.
Once the final whistle blew, signalling the end of the match, Buffon was approached by Messi, who asked to swap shirts. This gesture profoundly moved the veteran goalkeeper, who said it filled him with pride.
In an interview with TuttoJuve, Buffon reflected on this exchange: “Leo made me proud when he asked me for the shirt in the Berlin final, and I was 37 years old. When he asked me for the shirt, I said to myself, ‘Mamma Mia, how beautiful you are!’”
Buffon recounted that this moment marked a unique experience in his career; he suddenly viewed himself and his achievements through a different lens, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride to be acknowledged by one of football’s greatest talents.
“We exchanged shirts,” he continued, capturing the significance of that simple yet powerful act of respect between the two football greats.
Despite the joy of the shirt swap, Buffon was aware that the match had left him and his teammates with lingering disappointment.
He mentioned that at the time, they were grappling with the heartbreak of the loss, not realizing that they would have another opportunity to compete against Barcelona in a subsequent Champions League final in the years to come.