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Turin, Italy • After more than two decades of top-level soccer, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says next season will be his last.

Unless Juventus wins the Champions League.

Buffon tells Italy's Sky Sport that if Juventus "were to win the Champions League I would continue playing one more season to try and also win the Club World Cup and other trophies."

The 39-year-old Buffon has won eight Serie A titles with Juventus and the 2006 World Cup with Italy but he has never won the Champions League, coming runner-up three times.

Buffon says he promised Juventus president Andrea Agnelli that he would continue playing if he finally wins the elusive European trophy.

Buffon has made a record 169 appearances for Italy and plans to lead the Azzurri at next year's World Cup.