Buffon is of the belief that the playmaker has the right to be compared directly with the brilliant Argentine.

“I think it's unlikely that any human being again will repeat the numbers that Messi is getting,” he told Sport Mediaset.

“But he is a striker, so numbers are on his side. I think Andrea Pirlo has the same sort of quality.

“He does not have to envy anyone, but in the world of football, awards go to those who score goals.”