Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that his teammate Andrea Pirlo would be a deserved recipient of the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
The Bianconeri coach Antonio Conte recently claimed that the Italian playmaker deserved the game's most coveted individual prize, and Buffon has echoed those sentiments by revealing that he voted for his compatriot ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Buffon said: "The Ballon d'Or? This is how I have voted: Pirlo first, Ronaldo second and Messi third."
The winner of the award will be announced at a FIFA ceremony in Zurich in January, where the trio also face stiff competition from Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery.