Cafu vs Gianluigi Buffon: Stats Compared
Right-Back, Brazil (born 1970, retired 2008) · Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023)
Set Cafu alongside Gianluigi Buffon and the numbers start an argument of their own. Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. Career output puts Cafu at 53 goals in 856 games, with Gianluigi Buffon at 1 in 1147. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Trophy counts give Cafu 9 and Gianluigi Buffon 15, with 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) the standout honours respectively. History will file Cafu under rugged greatness and Gianluigi Buffon under imposing greatness — different shelves, same temple. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Cafu's landmark level arrived around 2002 with a career spanning São Paulo, Roma, Milan; Gianluigi Buffon's came around 2006 across Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
160 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, he was known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank. He is the most-capped player for the Brazil national team with 142 appearances.
“A relentless full-back whose running power and crossing made the flank a second engine.”
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.”
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
- 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 10× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 1× Ligue 1 (2019)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1994 Established himself at São Paulo
- 1998 Reached his defining peak
- 2002 Delivered a landmark season
- 2008 Retired from professional football
- 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
The verdict
On balance Cafu edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Cafu edges it (a narrow margin)
