He’s following in his father’s illustrious footballing footsteps, and making a big splash on the international football scene, but not in the position, or for the country, many would imagine. Louis Thomas Buffon, son of the legendary former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi, scored two hat-tricks during the November break in Under-19 European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland.
Young talent, big hope
Louis Buffon is a forward who has carved his own path, currently on the books at Pisa and, surprisingly, representing the Czech Republic, rather than his father’s native Italy, at youth level. After starting in youth systems at Sisport and Juventus, he moved to Pisa in 2023, making his professional debut in 2025. Buffon chose his son's middle name as a tribute to his favourite goalkeeper growing up, Thomas N'Kono, the former Espanyol and Cameroon goalkeeper who famously played for his country at Italia '90, where they were knocked out by England 3-2 in the quarter-finals. At the tender age of 17, Louis has made big headlines with his scoring prowess during the latest international break. He scored three in Czechia's 6-1 win over Azerbaijan before taking on a substitute's role in a 2-2 draw against Malta. Louis then returned to the starting lineup against Northern Ireland and fired another hat-trick to help Czechia secure a 4-0 victory.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy Buffon's son declined an Italian job
Buffon senior is one of the most-recognisable Italian football faces, but his wife Alena Seredova is from the Czech Republic. The pair married in 2011, but were divorced three years later. And in an interview given to the Czech FA, Louis Buffon explained that the decision to play for his mother's homeland was also supported by his dad. He said: "I talked with my family and decided that playing for the Czech Republic would be the best option for my career and my development as a player. My mother was obviously very happy, but my father was too, because it was my first call-up to the national team."
Big boots to fill
Buffon retired from professional football in 2023 at the age of 45 after an illustrious career as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Following his retirement, he was appointed the head of delegation for the Italian national football team. His professional journey began with his boyhood club Parma, where he debuted in 1995 and won the UEFA Cup. In 2001, he made a world-record transfer for a goalkeeper at the time to Juventus, where would spend the vast majority of his career. During his two stints with Juventus, which were broken up by a brief spell at Paris Saint-Germain, he won an incredible 10 Serie A titles and remained with the club even after its 2006 relegation due to the Calciopoli scandal, helping them return to the top flight. On the international stage, Buffon famously captained Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He also holds the record for most international caps for Italy with 176 appearances. He concluded his playing career by returning to Parma for two final seasons.
Getty/@louisbuffon9International options in coming years
Louis Buffon can still switch his allegiance from Czechia to Italy because he holds dual Italian citizenship and has not yet played a senior competitive international match for the Czech national team. Although he has represented Czechia at the youth level, including with the Under-18 and Under-19 squads, this does not tie him to the country permanently. FIFA rules allow players with dual nationality to switch their allegiance to another country they are eligible for, as long as they have not yet made a senior competitive appearance. Buffon is eligible for Italy through his father and was born in the country. This makes a future allegiance switch a viable option for the promising winger.