Once Iker Casillas said that, “Being a good person is like being a goalkeeper. No matter how many goals you save, some people will only remember the one you missed”. Goalkeeping is the crucial position to play as it is the last line of defence. Goalkeeping is toughest position to play for because one stop can make you a star but a mistake can cost a match. Goalkeepers position is the thankless job, people only admire outfield players like Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi etc but very few remember goalkeepers.
Lev Yashin of the Soviet Union, Iker Casillas of the Spain, and Oliver Kahn of the German national team are some of the greatest goalkeepers. But these are not all! So, let’s check out the complete list.
Best Goalkeepers in the World
The list of best goalkeepers in the world who are playing in the FIFA World Cup.
8. Edouard Mendy
Country: Senegal
Club: Chelsea
Mendy is a Senegalese goalkeeper who also plays for premier club Chelsea coming to the world cup with the tag of best goalkeepers right now in the world. He is strong, tall and fast, known for his strong dominant style of play with good command on ball passing and aerial capabilities. Mendy mainly plays with an imposing goalkeeping style combined with the skills like agility, athleticism and shot stopping ability.
7. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Country: Germany
Club: Barcelona
Stegen is the German goalkeeper who plays for the La Liga club Barcelona. He is often known as the “Berlin Wall” because of his exceptional goal stopping. He is tall, fast and confident, which makes him exceptional in one to one situations.
He is known for his aerial abilities, long shots and awareness in the box. His style is similar to Manuel Neuer with a strong appearance and good positional sense.
6. Hugo Lloris
Country: France
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Lloris is a French goalkeeper who is the main goalkeeper for Tottenham for several years. He was a member of the world champion French team that won the FIFA world cup 2018. In 2018, Lloris played an important role by securing clean sheets against Peru and Uruguay.
Lloris is anticipated for the awareness of the game combined with quick reflexes, and decision-making. He is sometimes criticized for being inconsistent due to injuries.
5. Keylor Navas
Country: Costa RIca
Club: Paris St. Germain
Navas is a Costa-Rican goalkeeper who plays for Paris St. Germain and formerly was a main goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid. Unlike other goalkeepers, Navas is short but agile, fast and athletic, known for his quick reflexes that makes it difficult for the opponent players to score goals.
Navas had won 12 titles with Real Madrid also UEFA best goal award.
Also Read: Top 8 Forwards to watch for in this World Cup 2022
4. Thibaut Courtois
Country: Belgium
Club: Real Madrid
Courtois is a Belgian goalkeeper who plays as a main goalkeeper for Real Madrid. He is considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.
He is calm and composed in the goalpost constantly involved with defenders and known for his ability to stop goals with quick reflexes, confidence, technique and anticipation of opponents. He is tall, quick and has an imposing personality with good positional sense and distribution.
3. Ederson
Country: Brazil
Club: Manchester City
Edersen is a member of the Brazilian national team and also plays for Manchester City. he is tall, fast and strong, known for his imposing personality, shot stopping ability between posts and quick reflexes. He is an intelligent reader of the game with good distribution and ball possessing capabilities.
He is also great in the air and sometimes functions as sweeper keeper.
2. Manuel Neuer
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer was a member of the 2014 world cup champion team of Germany. He had won the golden gloves award as best goalkeeper in the tournament. He is considered as the best goalkeeper in the world of all time. He is often described by the name “sweeper-keeper” because of his style of play.
Neuer is physically strong, tall, agile and known for his reflexes, aerial prowess and shot stopping capabilities. The ability to quickly rush out of the box towards opponent players when his team’s defensive line is broken and challenge them with speed and physicality that makes them anxious to aim for a goal.
1. Allison Becker
Country: Brazil
Club: Liverpool
Becker is a highly rated Brazilian goalkeeper who also plays for Liverpool. He is considered as the best goalkeepers in the world. Becker is the shining star behind the success of Liverpool in the premier league.
He is known for his goal stopping capabilities, positioning and consistency. Becker admires Neuer and draws inspiration from his sweeper keeper style. He is proficient in one to one situations with quick reflexes and effective technique.
| S.No. | Goalkeeper |
| 8. | Edouard Mendy |
| 7. | Marc-Andre ter Stegen |
| 6. | Hugo Lloris |
| 5. | Keylor Navas |
| 4. | Thibaut Courtois |
| 3. | Ederson |
| 2. | Manuel Neuer |
| 1. | Allison Becker |
Also Read:
- Top 8 Forwards to watch for in this World Cup 2022
- Top 8 Midfielders to watch for in World Cup 2022
- Top 8 Defenders to watch for in this World Cup 2022
Who is the best goalkeeper in the world?
Manuel Neuer
Who is the best goalkeeper of all time?
Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper who had won Ballon d’or award
Who has most clean sheets in football history?
Gianluigi Buffon