Buffon: My son has ‘0.5% chance of becoming a footballer’ | OneFootball

Italian legend Gigi Buffon warns his son Louis Thomas that he only has a 0.5% chance of becoming a footballer: ‘He hasn’t done anything yet.’

Former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Buffon urges his son Louis Thomas to keep his feet on the ground despite scoring six goals in his last three international appearances with Czechia U19.

“Well, until four or five months ago, he had a one per cent chance of becoming a footballer. Now he only has 0.5% because he hasn’t done anything yet,” Buffon told Gazzetta.

Buffon: I told my son ‘not to read anything about himself’

UDINE, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Gianluigi Buffon, Head of Delegation of Italy, looks on prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“He has ten minutes of Serie A under his belt, and I told him not to read anything about himself. We’re going too fast, and it’s not good for him.

“When I played and the first compliments started coming, my mum and my dad reminded me about ten people in my family who had already worn various national-team shirts, so I wasn’t doing anything special. That helped me enormously.”

Buffon’s son made Serie A debut in 2025-26

Louis Thomas Buffon Czech Republic

Louis Thomas Buffon, 17, has made his Serie A debut with Pisa this season.

At an international level, he plays for his mother’s country, Czechia, but he might still play for the Italy senior team in the future.