Report: Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon agrees to contract extension through 2018

Unlike a small number of his teammates who are in their mid-30s, Gigi Buffon's contract status for next season was already a certainty. His deal isn't set to expire like Patrice Evra or, up until a couple of days ago, Andrea Barzagli. Their contracts need or needed renewal. Buffon's doesn't.

And he's going to get one anyway.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Buffon will be a part of the Barzagli Contract Extension Party as well, tacking on another year to his deal that is set to expire after the 2016-17 season. Instead, he will have the same contract length now as Barzagli, and will almost certainly stay true to his word that the 2018 season and World Cup in Russia will be his final swansong for both club and country.

Gianluigi Buffon is set to celebrate another Scudetto with Juventus. And a Coppa Italia trophy could be on arrival too, if Juventus can defeat Milan later this month. Now, Buffon has received a contract extension through 2018, prolonging a contract that had a year remaining on it already. Tomorrow evening at 18:00 CET at Vinovo, Juventus will announce the extension to Andrea Barzagli, now Buffon's as well.

The first thing that popped into my head after reading the paragraph above: Is anybody else going to have their contract extension thrown into tomorrow's festivities?

But that's beside the point for now, I guess.

Buffon is one of those players that can sign a contract extension for as long as he wants. He has earned that right and no matter how long he wants to play, that's what he should get. But knowing what we know, and knowing that Buffon is pretty set on calling it a career after he becomes the first ever player to participate in six World Cups, having his contract end in 2018 is no surprise at all. He wants to play until he's 40 years old, and the way he's going, he'll still be the gold standard of goalkeeping at that age.

This is Gigi Buffon we're talking about here, folks. And to see him continue to play for this club is something we should all be thankful for. These kinds of players don't come along all too often, so let's cherish Buffon while he's still playing and showing everybody around why he's the G.O.A.T.