Gianluigi Buffon vs Esteban Cambiasso: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Central Midfielder, Argentina (born 1980, retired 2016)
Line up Gianluigi Buffon next to Esteban Cambiasso and the contrasts come quickly. Different decades shaped different demands, and both adapted to theirs brilliantly. Gianluigi Buffon finishes with 1 career goals from 1147 games — a 0.00 strike rate — against Esteban Cambiasso's 60 from 620 at 0.10 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Gianluigi Buffon is listed at 0 and Esteban Cambiasso at 55 where figures survive. In major honours Gianluigi Buffon collected 15 — headlined by 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) — whereas Esteban Cambiasso amassed 7, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (2010). Gianluigi Buffon belonged to the turn of the millennium, dominating with a imposing quality; Esteban Cambiasso rose in the modern era with a orchestrating edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Gianluigi Buffon reaching his representative peak around 2006 across Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma and Esteban Cambiasso doing so around 2010 with River Plate, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Olympiacos. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
183 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Italian goalkeeper and the most capped Italian player of all time; 2006 World Cup winner and ten-time Serie A champion.
“An authoritative, athletic keeper whose longevity made him the most-capped goalkeeper in history.”
A tireless, tactically astute Argentine midfielder who anchored Inter's historic 2010 treble-winning side.
“A disciplined box-to-box midfielder with excellent positional sense and a surprising eye for a spectacular long-range goal.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 10× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 1× Ligue 1 (2019)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 5× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2010)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1995 Parma debut
- 2001 World-record keeper transfer to Juventus
- 2003 Lost the Champions League final on penalties
- 2006 World Cup winner with Italy
- 2018 Joined Paris Saint-Germain
- 2019 Returned to Juventus
- 2023 Scored a career goal for Parma in Serie B
- 1996 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2010 Won UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan
- 2010 Won FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at Olympiacos
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Gianluigi Buffon wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Gianluigi Buffon edges it (a clear margin)
