Lorenzo Buffon facts for kids
Buffon at Milan
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 December 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Majano, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 25 November 2025 (aged 95) | ||
| Place of death | Latisana, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1948–1949 | Portogruaro | 34 | (0) |
| 1949–1959 | AC Milan | 277 | (0) |
| 1959–1960 | Genoa | 20 | (0) |
| 1960–1963 | Inter Milan | 79 | (0) |
| 1963–1964 | Fiorentina | 1 | (0) |
| 1964–1965 | Ivrea | 11 | (0) |
| Total | 422 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1958–1962 | Italy | 15 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Lorenzo Buffon (born 19 December 1929 – died 25 November 2025) was a famous Italian football player. He was a talented goalkeeper who played for many top Italian clubs. He is especially remembered for his time with AC Milan and later their city rivals, Inter Milan.
During his amazing career, Buffon won five Serie A titles, which is Italy's top football league. He also played for the Italian national team 15 times. He even represented his country in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Many people consider him one of the best goalkeepers of his time. He was even chosen for the FIFA All-Star squad in the 1960s, alongside another legendary goalkeeper, Lev Yashin.
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Lorenzo Buffon: A Legendary Goalkeeper
Lorenzo Buffon was born in Majano, Italy. He played for 15 seasons in Italy's top football league, Serie A. He played a total of 365 games in this league. His career began with Portogruaro in 1948. The very next year, he joined AC Milan, one of Italy's biggest clubs.
Early Career and AC Milan Success
Buffon made his first appearance in Serie A on 15 January 1950. He helped AC Milan win 1–0 against Sampdoria, not letting any goals past him. He played 277 games for AC Milan over ten years. During this time, he became very well-known around the world.
With AC Milan, Lorenzo Buffon achieved great success. He won four Serie A titles, making his team champions of Italy multiple times. He also won two Latin Cups, which was an important European club competition back then. He even helped Milan reach the final of the 1957–58 European Cup, a major European tournament. They also made it to the semi-finals of the 1955–56 European Cup. In both cases, they were defeated by the strong team Real Madrid. Buffon is one of only four goalkeepers to play 300 games for AC Milan.
Triumphs with Inter Milan and Other Clubs
After his successful time at AC Milan, Buffon moved to Genoa for one season in 1959. Then, in 1960, he joined Inter Milan, who were AC Milan's big city rivals. At Inter, he continued his winning ways. He won another Serie A title in the 1962–63 season. This was under the famous coach Helenio Herrera.
Buffon played three seasons for Inter Milan. He also reached the semi-finals of the 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. After Inter, he played for Fiorentina for a season. He then finished his professional career with Ivrea in 1965. In total, Lorenzo Buffon won five Serie A titles during his impressive career.
Representing Italy on the World Stage
Lorenzo Buffon also proudly played for the Italian national team 15 times. His first international game was a friendly match against France on 9 September 1958. The game ended in a 2–2 draw.
He was chosen to be the captain and starting goalkeeper for Italy in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. He played in two matches during the tournament. He kept a clean sheet (meaning he didn't let any goals in) in a 0–0 draw against West Germany. He also had another clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Switzerland. This match on 7 June was his last international appearance. Italy was unfortunately eliminated in the first round of the tournament after a very tough game against the host country, Chile.
Buffon's Unique Goalkeeping Style
Lorenzo Buffon was known as a very athletic and reliable goalkeeper. He had a great sense of where to be on the field, which is called positional sense. He was also excellent at catching and holding the ball, known as handling. His style was efficient, meaning he made amazing saves without needing to make overly dramatic movements.
His incredible ability to stop shots earned him the nickname Lorenzo il Magnifico, which means "Lorenzo the Magnificent." He was a tall and strong keeper. He was especially good at staying between the goalposts to make saves. While he was a world-class goalkeeper, he sometimes faced challenges with consistency during his career.
Life After Football and Family Connections
After he stopped playing professional football, Lorenzo Buffon continued to be involved in the sport. He worked as a youth talent scout for AC Milan. This meant he helped find young, promising players for the club.
Lorenzo Buffon was also related to another famous Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. Lorenzo was the second cousin of Gianluigi's grandfather. He was married to the Italian actress and TV personality Edy Campagnoli.
Lorenzo Buffon passed away on 25 November 2025, at the age of 95.
Major Achievements and Awards
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59
- Latin Cup: 1951, 1956
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 1962–63
Individual
- FIFA XI: 1963
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Lorenzo Buffon para niños
