Gigi Buffon will become part of the Italian sport ‘Walk of Fame’. As a 2006 World Cup champion the record holder for Azzurri appearances (176), and the current National Team Delegation Head, Buffon is one of the sports personalities who, from Thursday 22 May, will be able to read his name on the pavement, populated which ‘stars’, which extends from Via delle Olimpiadi to the Stadio Olimpico. Today, the CONI National Council awarded him with a commemorative tile for "his contribution to Italy in winning the World Cup in 2006”.

Buffon stated: “I am very proud and at the same time it comes with great responsibility. I never thought that I would get to this point as playing was always a pleasure and I never considered football as a true and proper job. I find myself being rewarded in a very generous way.”

The ex-Azzurri goalkeeper and captain will be the eleventh footballer to become part of the ‘Walk of Fame’. He will be in true world class company, alongside Giuseppe Meazza, Silvio Piola, Valentino Mazzola, Dino Zoff, Gianni Rivera, Gigi Riva, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Paolo Rossi and Fabio Cannavaro. “I am happy to be so close to these great champions, some of whom are my friends, and many are true icons in other fields. The World Cup win certainly helped me to get into the public eye and this tile will mean that we can all remember this great moment”.

Other than Buffon, there will be others joining the Walk of Fame on 22 May: Giorgio Di Centa, a 50 km cross-country skiing Olympic champion at Torino 2006; the water-polo players Franca and Pino Porzio, Olympic champions with Settebello at Barcelona 1992; the fencers Elisa Di Francisca, Olympic champion in individual and team foil at London 2012, and Aldo Montano, gold medalist in sabre at Athens 2004; Gerda Weissensteiner, Olympic champion in the luge at Lillehammer 1994 and bronze-medalist in two-woman bobsleigh at Torino 2006; finally, the volleyball player Francesca Piccinini, 2002 World Champion.