Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has claimed that Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon should win the Ballon d'Or for his performances over the past year.

The 37-year-old enjoyed another successful campaign for the Bianconeri and captained the club to a fourth straight Serie A title and success in the Coppa Italia.

Buffon was unable to prevent Barcelona from beating his side in the Champions League final, but that has not stopped Cruyff from tipping him to beat Lionel Messi to the title of the world's best player.

"Messi is playing very well, but what counts when it comes to winning the Ballon d'Or is the whole year and Buffon is definitely a possibility for the prize in 2015," Cruyff told Tuttosport.

"He's been a great goalkeeper for years now. But Juventus have so many great players. I'm also thinking of [Andrea] Pirlo, [Arturo] Vidal, [Paul] Pogba and [Alvaro] Morata. I especially appreciate the organisation the club boasts."

Buffon has spent the past 14 years at Juventus, helping the club to win six league titles.