Edwin van der Sar vs Gianluigi Buffon: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023)
There is something timeless about weighing Edwin van der Sar against Gianluigi Buffon. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. The raw numbers read 0 goals in 820 outings for Edwin van der Sar (0.00/game), versus 1 in 1147 for Gianluigi Buffon (0.00/game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Edwin van der Sar 9 and Gianluigi Buffon 15, with 1× UEFA Champions League (2008) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) the standout honours respectively. As a goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar bent the role to a brave template; as a goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon redefined it with sweeper-keen authority. Club journeys add another layer, with Edwin van der Sar reaching his representative peak around 2008 across Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United and Gianluigi Buffon doing so around 2006 with Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
170 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he was most recently the chief executive of Eredivisie club Ajax. Van der Sar began his senior playing career with Ajax in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
“A tall, composed goalkeeper who made difficult saves look quiet and simple.”
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
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 10× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 1× Ligue 1 (2019)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 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
If forced to pick, Gianluigi Buffon is the choice: a clear margin, with a weightier trophy cabinet the deciding factor.
Gianluigi Buffon edges it (a clear margin)
