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The 35-year-old will draw level with the former centre-back if he plays against Bulgaria and the Czech Republic in the Azzurri's upcoming World Cup qualifiers and admits the feat would bring great satisfaction.

Gianluigi Buffon has been in the squad since 1997 and a first choice since 1998. He was awarded his first cap for Italy senior team under Cesare Maldini on 29 October 1997, at the age of nineteen, as an injury replacement for Gianluica Pagliuca during the first leg of the 1998 World Cup qualification play-off against Russia played in Moscow. He was a member of the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals, but did not play a single game as Pagliuca remained first choice.

Buffon became the first choice goalkeeper during the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign and was due to start in goal during the finals under manager and former Italy goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff, but he broke his hand in a warm up match against Norway, just a few days before Italy's opening match against Turkey. His starting place was taken by backup goalkeeper Francesco Toldo and Christian Abbiati was called up as a replacement third keeper, with Francesco Antonioli being promoted to second keeper.

Buffon became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he was transfered from Parma to Juventus in the summer of 2001 for €51 million and was handed the number 1 shirt as the starting goalkeeper, replacing former keeper Edwin Van der Sar, who had been sold to Fulham

He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record nine times and was the winner of the 2006 Yashin Award following Italy's World Cup victory, in which Buffon was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament; an honour which he also received after reaching the final of the 2012 European Championships. Buffon is the only goalkeeper to have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year Award, which he won in 2003; he also won the award for best Goalkeeper that year and was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2006. In 2006, Buffon was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and was elected to be part of the FIFPro World XI in 2006 and 2007

He has been named the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) goalkeeper of the year four times and was named goalkeeper of the 21st century and of the decade by the same organisation.