Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon equalled a European record after he featured against Germany in Milan last night.

Buffon played the first 45 minutes as he won his 167th cap for Italy, equalling a European record.

Iker Casillas set the record in June this year after he made his 167th appearance for Spain, with Buffon now drawing level with the Spaniard.

Buffon made his debut for Italy in 1997 as a 19-year-old, with Cesare Maldini the Italian head coach at the time.

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Since that day, he has gone on to earn a further 166 caps for his country – including captaining his side.

Buffon captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup, lifting the trophy as he conceded just two goals in his seven matches during the competition. He kept five clean sheets during the tournament as he heavily impressed.

Despite being 38, Buffon is still Juventus’ and Italy’s number one and looks set for a few more years at the top of the game. This means that he could add to his total in the coming years.