“The only player I’ve seen have this clarity” - When Gianluigi Buffon named ex-teammate who was as good as Cristiano Ronaldo in finishing

Former Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon named ex-teammate David Trezeguet as the only player as good at finishing as Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary shot-stopper shared the pitch with Trezeguet in 231 games across competitions for Juventus between 2001 and 2010.

In his illustrious career, Gianluigi Buffon has faced multiple lethal attackers against him, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ronaldo Nazario. The Italian goalkeeper notably shared the stage with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus between 2019 and 2021 in 26 games across competitions. Buffon often rated the Portuguese legend among the best finishers he has faced, having played against him eight times.

In a 2018 interview with MARCA, Gianluigi Buffon named David Trezeguet the one player who was as good at finishing as Cristiano Ronaldo. He said (via GiveMeSport):

"I have unlimited admiration for Cristiano. He has been able to improve with age. I admire him because he's a person who knows what he's doing, and he is pragmatic."

He continued:

In recent years, he has shown that he is intelligent. He has changed his position; he wastes less energy, yet he is just as lethal. In front of goal, he is a real assassin. The only player I've seen have this clarity when shooting on his own is David Trezeguet."

Former French striker David Trezeguet has played for multiple clubs in his career, including Juventus, Monaco, River Plate, and Newell's Old Boys. The Frenchman is best remembered for his stint with the Old Lady, where he contributed 171 goals and 38 assists in 328 outings across competitions.

Trezeguet won the Scudetto with Juventus twice in his career. He was a part of France's 1998 World Cup-winning and the 2000 Euro-winning squads as well.

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When Gianluigi Buffon chose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

L to R: Chiellini, Ronaldo and Buffon - Source: Getty

In a 2018 interview with the press ahead of facing Argentina with Italy in an international friendly, Gianluigi Buffon weighed in on the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate. The age-old question of who is the better footballer has led to various responses from pundits and fans of the game.

Despite being Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate for two seasons at Juventus, Gianluigi Buffon considered Lionel Messi a more "complete" player. He said (via One Football):

"They are two completely different players. Messi is more complete, because he starts deeper, has more technical quality and a vision of the game that is worthy more of a trequartista than a finisher."

Further, Buffon waxed lyrical on Cristiano Ronaldo's goal-scoring abilities and added:

"Ronaldo, perhaps because he is a little older, has become a killer in the penalty area. Compared to how he was before, Ronaldo preserves his energy more, so he no longer goes out to the flank for a nutmeg or trick-shot, but with one ball into the box he can create a goal."

The legendary Portuguese is often considered among the best goal-scorers and finishers of all time. He has won the coveted European Golden Boot four times in his career and is the all-time highest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history (450 goals).