The iconic goalkeeper has never lifted European football’s grandest prize, but a Brazilian team-mate at PSG is jealous of his global triumph from 2006
Dani Alves has three Champions League winners’ medals to his name, but Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Gianluigi Buffon claims the Brazilian would trade them all for a World Cup triumph.
Two seasoned professionals in the French capital have, over the course of two distinguished careers, collected just about every major honour between them.
There are, however, glaring omissions on their respective CVs.
Buffon, despite spending 17 years with Serie A champions Juventus and reaching three finals, has never lifted European football’s most prestigious prize.
Alves, meanwhile, has collected 107 caps for Brazil but been unable to steer them to global glory.
Both men are still chasing down elusive trophies , at the ages of 40 and 35 respectively, but Buffon says his club colleague would happily swap places with him if it meant having a World Cup gong.
The legendary goalkeeper told reporters at a ceremony in Italy to honour their victorious squad of 2006: “I’ll tell you something. A few days ago, I was in the shower after a training session and Dani Alves was staring at me.
“He told me: ‘Gigi, I’d love to give you my three Champions Leagues and get your World Cup in return.
“Champions Leagues are great but a World Cup gives me the feeling that I’ve done something for my country.
“You’re fighting so hard to win a Champions League, I won three, but would take your World Cup instead.”
PSG have taken three points from their two continental outings in 2018-19.
They opened their campaign with a dramatic 3-2 defeat at Liverpool, before crushing Red Star 6-1 on home soil .