Times passes quickly, and already 12 years separate us from Italy's triumph at the 2006 World Cup. However, still a few members of that squad continue their playing career.

Gianluigi Buffon (40 years)

He just can't get enough. This year, Buffon planned to take part in his sixth World Cup and retire, but things went according to a different scenario. Italy did not qualify for the World Cup, and the legendary goalkeeper left Juventus only to join Paris Saing-Germain as a free agent. Gianluigi, who played the last of his 176 matches for Italy this March, has already won his first trophy with PSG, the French Super Cup.

Cristian Zaccardo (36)

His 17 matches for Italy came in the right time - between 2004 and 2007 - so the defender managed to become a world champion in 2006. At the World Cup, he represented Palermo, but moved to Wolfsburg two years later. With the German club, he won the Bundesliga in 2009, but did not get much playing time and retuned to Italy. Later Cristian played for Parma, Milan, Carpi and Vicenza, and he has been at Malta's Hamrun Spartans since 2017.

Andrea Barzagli (37)

Back in 2000s, he played with Zaccardo both for Italy and Palermo - and later for Wolfsburg, where both defenders moved in 2008. However, Barzagli did better in Germany than his friend - and since then, his career was more illustrous compared to Zaccardo's. Following three seasons in the Bundesliga, the player moved to Juventus in 2011, where he has been a key defender since then. In the national team, he has played 73 matches but retired last year immediately after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Daniele De Rossi (35)

A true one-club man, he played for Roma in 2006 - and still plays for them now. After Francesco Totti's retirement last year, De Rossi predictably became the team's captain. And at the national team, the midfielder played 117 matches, but just like Barzagli and Buffon, retired after they did not qualify for the World Cup.

Alberto Gilardino (36)

While De Rossi was the youngest player in Italy's 2006 squad, Gilardino, who was then 24, was the second youngest. With the exception of a short spell at China's Guanzhou Evergrande, he always played in Italy, where he has changed as many as 11 clubs. Last season, Alberto scored 6 goals in 16 matches for Spezia at Serie B, but left that team in summer. He is unattached at the moment but is hardly going to retire as there is still some interest to the 36-year-old striker.

And when did all all other members of the 2006 squad retire? Let's see:

Fabio Grosso - 2012 (age 35, last club Juventus)

Fabio Cannavaro - 2011 (38, Al-Ahli)

Alessandro Del Piero - 2014 (40, Delhi Dynamos)

Gennaro Gattuso - 2013 (35, Sion)

Luca Toni - 2016 (39, Verona)

Francesco Totti - 2017 (41, Roma)

Angelo Peruzzi - 2007 (37, Lazio)

Alessandro Nesta - 2014 (38, Chennaiyin)

Marco Amelia - 2017 (35, Vicenza). He has not announced his retirement, but has been without a club for a year now.

Vincenzo Iaquinta - 2013 (34, Juventus)

Mauro Camoranesi - 2014 (38, Racing Club)

Simone Barone - 2012 (34, Livorno)

Filippo Inzaghi - 2012 (39, Milan)

Gianluca Zambrotta - 2014 (37, Chiasso)

Simone Perrotta - 2013 (36, Roma)

Andrea Pirlo - 2017 (38, New York City)

Massimo Oddo - 2012 (36, Lecce)

Marco Materazzi - 2016 (43, Chennayin)

Soccer / barzagli

2006 World champions that still play

2006 World champions that still play

2006 World champions that still play