Ranking the 10 greatest player rivalries in football

#7 Iker Casillas vs Gianluigi Buffon

Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon are the greatest goalkeepers of the 21st century

In the first decade of the 21st century, there has hardly been a duo of shot-stoppers who has dominated the posts better than Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon. The two goalkeepers have attained statuses as demi-gods for their respective clubs and country.

Buffon and Casillas always vied for the best goalkeeper position in the world in their prime, and their impressive track record and trophy cabinets hold a mighty testament for that. The Spaniard vs the Italian is yet another face-off where respect prevails in spite of the tough competition the players shared between themselves. So much so, that Cassilas and Buffon have gone down in history as players who are nigh impossible to hate.

Both goalkeepers were also epitomes of longevity following their legendary careers for two of the greatest European heavyweights and also for their national teams. Iker Casillas served as Real Madrid for 15 years while Gianluigi Buffon guarded the Juventus posts for 17 years.

Yet another example of maintaining a rivalry, the Cassilas-Buffon face-off is one fine lesson on how to be perfect gentlemen while playing a man's game.