BERLIN - Italy never lost a game this World Cup in large part because goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was himself unbeatable.

Buffon allowed just two goals in seven games, but neither was scored by an opponent from the run of play.

One score was an own-goal by an Italian defender, the second was a penalty kick that put France up 1-0 before Italy tied it 1-1 and went on to win Sunday's final 5-3 on penalty kicks. Italy's other five games were shutout wins.

"It's never crossed my mind that I would be scored on," Buffon said.

Italy defender Cristian Zaccardo scored an own-goal 27 minutes into Italy's 1-1 draw with the United States in the first round and Zinedine Zidane converted a penalty seven minutes into Sunday's final.

Between the two, Buffon went 460 minutes without allowing a goal ¡ª the fourth longest streak in tournament history. Fellow Italian Walter Zenga set the record of 517 minutes in 1990.

About the closest anyone got to scoring on Italy in normal play was in the 103rd minute of the final, when Buffon had to leap high into the air to push a Zidane header over the bar.

Buffon didn't stop any penalties during the shootout ¡ª he didn't have to. Italy converted all five of its shots and France's David Trezeguet clanged his attempt off the crossbar.

While Buffon was superb, Italy's defense deserves just as much credit.

"In the end, what has characterized Italy is the group spirit and the absence of egoists," Buffon said.