Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has paid tribute to his teammates after he equalled the country's appearance record.

The Juventus stopper is now level on caps with Fabio Cannavaro after taking to the field for the 136th time for the Azzurri during their 2-1 win over Czech Republic on Tuesday.

That victory guarantees Italy a place at the 2014 World Cup, and Buffon is pleased with how the night panned out for his country.

"I thank all the lads, as thanks to them I can celebrate 360 degrees tonight," Buffon told reporters.

"We have created so much together over these years and I thank the fans for cheering us on today, as it felt like a new atmosphere to have so much support for the Nazionale. That wasn't always the case."

Buffon is likely to break the record when Italy travel to Denmark in Group B next month.

Written by
Matt Cotton