'Buffon can play until he's 40'

The agent of Gianluigi Buffon has claimed that the goalkeeper can play at the top of the game until his 40th birthday.

The Juventus shot-stopper was the hero on Sunday as Italy beat Uruguay 3-2 on penalties in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off.

And his representative has admitted that the 35-year-old goes into next season as one of the best in the world.

“Gigi can reach 40 quietly and without a fuss,” Silvano Martina told Radio Sportiva. “He can make the World Cup in 2018.

“Gigi is an absolute champion and is still the strongest goalkeeper of them all.

“The penalty shoot-out against Spain [in the semi-final of the tournament] was unlucky – those penalties were unstoppable.

“A goalkeeper can't really be judged by a shoot-out – he has less to lose than the attacker.

“But the Confederations Cup was a event which prepared the team well for next year.

“Italian football has got back to its optimum level, amongst the top five in the world.”