It is difficult to find a player like Gianluigi Buffon in world football. He is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He was a key player when Italy won the World Cup in 2006. The main reason why he is remembered by many is because he played football continuously for almost three decades.

Counting on the hands, one thousand and one hundred professional sports players. Buffon falls into that too. This former player from Italy is now in Kathmandu. The KP Oli Cup football final is being held at Dasharath Stadium on Monday. He came to Nepal as its chief guest. On the eve of that, while presenting to the media on Sunday, Buffon said, "I will come to Nepal again." Because this time his visit is very short, he came on Sunday and will return on Tuesday.

It is often said that the common people of Italy flock to Nepal and one of its cities, Naples. Buffon is an exception, since he was young, he was curious about Nepal. the reason? Flag of Nepal. The flag of Nepal is different in size and type from other countries. Seeing that, he thought, This must be a mysterious country. Then he continued to try to understand Nepal. Whenever he was offered to visit Nepal, he did not say no. His childhood dream of coming to Nepal has come true.

When the final of the KP Oli Cup will take place and the audience at the Dasharath Stadium will absorb the moment that the world football greats are also present there. 

How did Buffon keep himself fit for so much time and games? His answer is, "Football is what I like the most, so I worked hard for it, so I played for a long time." But this work is difficult.'

Buffon is now 47 years old. Looking closely, they are still playable. When he started playing, there was neither Facebook nor X (Twitter). Neither is a smartphone. Buffon, who has been playing since then, retired recently, only in 2023. He used to say, "I will continue to play for 65 years."

As long as Buffon played, there was no one to challenge him either in the club or in the Italian national team. He started playing for Parma in 1995, ending his playing career at Parma. He gained all the fame at the club level while playing for Juventus. He was with Juventus from 2001 to 2018 and won all the titles.

Even when Juventus were relegated to the 'B' division, he did not leave the club. Therefore, his club commitment is also considered immense. Buffon spent three years at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) before returning to Juventus.

Buffon played for Italy from 1997 to 2018. During that time he faced all the big names of his time. Even playing together. So what does he think, Lionel Messi better or Cristiano Ronaldo? The same question was asked to him this time as well. Before giving an answer, Dinu smiled and gave a diplomatic answer. He said, "Both are different types of players, so they cannot be compared." 

Buffon says that he is also trying to understand something about Nepali football. Nepal can also play the World Cup, but it needs investment. Having said that, if someone's commitment, dedication and respect for football increases after seeing him since he came to Nepal, it will be great.