Top 10 Best Football (Soccer) Goalkeepers of All Time
When it comes to football, goalkeepers are often the unsung heroes of the game. While strikers and midfielders usually steal the spotlight with their goals and assists, the best goalkeepers are the ones standing tall when it matters most. They've got nerves of steel, lightning reflexes, and an incredible sense of positioning that keeps their teams in the game. From jaw-dropping saves to commanding their defenses like generals on the pitch, these players leave an unforgettable impression on fans and opponents alike.This list is all about celebrating the legends between the posts. These are the keepers who defined eras, lifted trophies, and inspired countless young players to don the gloves. Each name here represents a different style, a unique story, and some truly iconic moments in football history.
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon (born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional goalkeeper who plays for Serie B club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and by some as the greatest ever. Easily the best keeper. How many times has he saved Italy by pulling off amazing saves? No other keeper is as consistently good as Gianluigi. You can trust him in goal, however old.
He never fails to meet more than what is expected of him. For this, I think he is the best player in the world. Come on, Buffon.
Buffon is amazing. He should be number 1 on the list. Vote Buffon up so he can be higher than the number 1 guy at the time of making this comment. Buffon is much better than all the other goalies.
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Popularly dubbed "San Iker" for his ability to produce spectacular saves, Casillas is widely regarded to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. What? How the hell is Casillas number one? I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to be top ten. He should be at least number five. According to FIFA games, Neuer is rated 90 and Casillas 84. I agree. Well, Gianluigi in FIFA is rated 82. I think he deserves 84 rated, but with slightly better stats than Casillas. Hey guys, did you see how Casillas was against Chile and the Netherlands in Spain vs. the Netherlands? Netherlands 5-1 Spain. And they lost to Chile. Laugh out loud.
Casillas is the best. Although I have only seen him play in one World Cup game (I just started watching professional soccer at that point), I have watched many La Liga and UEFA Champions League games. He has shown that he has the potential and skills to become the number one goalie in the world. I have watched other goalies play, but seeing him save every shot he can - and he does a lot of that - really gets me hyped to go out and play. He is my role model for becoming a professional goalie in the future and succeeding in the sport. Love you, Casillas! (And by the way, yes, I am a 13-year-old girl.)
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel (18 November 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. He is best remembered for his most successful years at English club Manchester United, whom he captained to the 1999... read more Fantastic goalkeeper. He had some of the most spectacular saves, was almost always positioned right, and really commanded his goal area.
He was also great in one-on-ones, where he often almost scared the attacker when coming out of the goal.
One of the most well-rounded goalkeepers ever.
How could he be in 4th place? You've got to be kidding me. He is, by far, the best goalkeeper ever. The 'XXL Shirt' had Casillas' reflexes, Buffon's concentration, and Neuer's balance. Without taking away the merit from anyone, Denmark only won the EURO92 because of him!
Manuel Peter Neuer is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Revolutionized the goalkeeper game. He is the eleventh field player, very often used as a pass giver to change wings. Great. His moving range in the field is unmatched. He is always an option to play to. When defending high, he covers literally his own half alone.
Why is he seventh? He should at least be No. 3. He won the Golden Glove in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, was named the best German player of the year, and he's one of the three best contenders to get the Best Player in Europe.
What? Manuel Neuer has to be in the top 3! He won the Golden Glove in the World Cup, is Germany's Footballer of the Year, and was in the top 3 for the Ballon D'Or. How is he only number 7? He's the most amazing keeper of this time!
Petr Čech is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Arsenal and captains the Czech Republic national team. He is a legend of Chelsea. He can save penalties like nobody else. He can stop the impossible. He is the best. He came back after an injury that could have cost his life, not once but twice, and still came back as a legend.
He is the best goalkeeper ever. He should be number 1. And this is a message for the creator of this site: put Petr Cech as number one. He always saves Chelsea and his country, which is the Czech Republic. He is the best. He hit himself in the head and he still gives his life for their team.
Petr Cech has scored a goal and he is a wall of awesome. He should be number one.
He has proven his athleticism through huge saves and like a million clean sheets.
Van der Sar is a legend, Buffon too, but Van der Sar is a soul player! He deserves the number 1 spot. Casillas is a good keeper but not a legend, maybe soon he will be, but never like Van der Sar! I am not Dutch nor a Man U fan, but he still deserves it! I have never seen a better goalie than him. Never!
All the Dutch goalkeepers are very good. It's a shame that this legend stopped playing soccer. But look at other Dutch goalkeepers who are really brilliant and all in a good soccer competition: Maarten Stekelenburg, Michael Vorm, Tim Krul, and don't forget all the pretty young keepers. And the coming Dutch goalies: Sergio Padt and Erwin Mulder. Thumbs up for Edwin and the Dutch!
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a German former football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team in 1975. Twelve years later, Kahn made his debut match in the professional squad. He is the best German goalkeeper ever born. No one in history could match him, Peter Schmeichel, Van der Sar, Petr Cech, Casillas, and Neuer. No goalkeeper can do such goalkeeping like Oliver Kahn did. He is the best goalkeeper ever who took birth from his mother.
The only goalkeeper ever to win the Golden Ball in a World Cup. He really was the best of them all. The only competition is G. Buffon, D. Zoff, L. Yashin, and I. Casillas. Everyone else is no contest. But potential goalkeepers will be G. Ochoa and H. Lloris!
Lev Ivanovich Yashin, nicknamed the "Black Spider" or the "Black Panther", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper, considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. Greatest goalkeeper to ever live. So far, Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to have ever received the Player of the Year Award. No one else on this list has managed that feat! Also, the rest of the Soviet team at the time was only half-decent, while all these other goalkeepers play for fantastic teams with brilliant defenders. Best keeper ever!
You know what's legendary? Legendary is innovating so many new goalkeeping tactics that over half of them are still used today by world-class goalkeepers. Lev Yashin not only achieved this, he managed to do this in a period of time in history when balls were packed with hard leather and attacking was much more aggressive. If Casillas was the Poseidon of goalkeeping, this guy would be Zeus.
Undoubtedly the greatest keeper the world has ever seen. The only keeper that I can't remember ever making a mistake. Also known for his legendary saves.
How? Just how is he not in the top 3 with Lev Yashin?
This guy is the 2nd best of all time, behind Lev.
The oldest goalie ever to win the World Cup.
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The best goalie. He is the reason stars didn't lose against the World Masters because he saved so many shots from Messi and Drogba yesterday in Miami. That is why he is going to lead Mexico and his team to victory again in the Gold Cup like in 2011 when Mexico won the Gold Cup against the USA.
He is the first goalkeeper from Mexico to play in a European team. He has amazing reflexes!
Not only is he one of the top goalkeepers, but he was also on the cover of FIFA 08. He's already a champion on his team, an inspiration or a hero to some people, and he is extremely young.
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. Joe is a brilliant young goalkeeper, homegrown in the best tradition. He started his career with Shrewsbury Town. The best is yet to come!
Quality keeper, but he's at Burnley now, so maybe not quite better than De Gea, Lloris, Courtois, Gordon Banks, etc.
He's a great player in my opinion. He should be second or first. I would have him in Barcelona. He's an awesome player.
In 20 years, it will be Víctor Valdés young goalkeepers study to improve their game.
San Iker, Buffon, Neuer are all fantastic and maybe even better than VV in some ways, but the amount of responsibility Valdés shoulders for Barcelona is underappreciated and the hallmark of a truly revolutionary keeper.
I love him. He's so awesome. Plus, he's from Barcelona! Laugh out loud. I love him, my father loves him, my brothers love him. My sister and my mom love him. And the whole world loves him! We all love him.
Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea and the Belgium national team as a goalkeeper. Very nice goalkeeper. He is a good Belgian goalkeeper.
He is currently a goalkeeper for Chelsea. His saves are good.
He deserves to be on this list.
Thibaut always is the save king if Chelsea is in trouble. By far, he is better than De Gea. I mean, Chelsea won the league. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have won the Premier League. Keeper No. 1.
Seriously, I am a Chelsea fan, and personally, I think Courtois is a great keeper and he should be in the top 5.
David de Gea Quintana is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United and the Spain national team. Put this fellow higher. He proved why he deserved the Golden Glove from two seasons before. One of the quickest reacting goalkeepers in his prime, not even Andre Onana or anyone else can currently compete too much with that. There are maybe three or four goalkeepers like Courtois, Ter-Stegen, Neuer, and one more.
De Gea two years ago was at least among the top three or even second place in the world. He had his mistakes, there were important matches to win, of course, and there was something not saved, but was it his fault? Maybe, but especially the club's fault and the defenders in general. Now if you look at United, it doesn't look better as promised. It is much worse, although Onana had nice matches. But that only proves how much he is missed playing in any nice club with a nice form.
I think the best footballer of soccer is Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh. He could be said to be the king of football. He is the number 1 player in the world of football. His shots are the most marvelous shots in the world. There is no way to defeat him. He is the best goalkeeper.
He was one of the best goalkeepers in Asia, and the best goalkeeper in Iranian football history! He was a confidence bomb in the Iranian national team!
He is one of the Iranian goalkeepers. He is the most famous and professional goalkeeper in Iran and especially in Asia. Years ago, he played for FC Perspolis and had a golden time there. All the Perspolis fans like me love him very much.
Hugo Lloris is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and is the captain of both English club Tottenham Hotspur and the French national team. Lloris is described as a goalkeeper who "boasts lightning reflexes and good decision-making" and is "a formidable opponent in one-on-one situations"... read more Such a good goalkeeper. Just imagine him in a few years' time!
One of the best Tottenham goalkeepers ever. He has made some incredible saves, such as against Olsson vs West Brom.
Hugo Lloris made a ton of saves in the group stage (France: 7, Switzerland: 6, Ecuador: 4, Honduras: 0)
After winning the Cup with Uruguay in 2011, he became one of the best keepers in the world. Maybe we can see him later in the Champions League with Galatasaray Istanbul because, in the Turkish league, I can't see much of him.
Top 5 keeper in Europe in 2012/2013, did a great job at the Champions League this year, and maybe going to Barcelona, but I don't hope so. He should stay at Galatasaray! UltrAslan!
Way better than most who are above him on this list. I think he is first or second in the world, but not everybody gets to see him.
Jan Oblak is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid and the Slovenia national team as a goalkeeper. Very underrated. He is one of the main reasons why Atletico Madrid is one of the best Spanish clubs in Europe.
Why is he all the way down here? He's literally the best current keeper right now!
Oblak is an amazing player and is very underrated.
Best. Goalkeeper. Ever. Here's a video to show how. Go to YouTube, and search for René Higuita, then click on the first option. Watch and you'll be amazed.
That keeper dribbles from one side of the pitch and scores free kicks! He should be #1!
He can make goals from one goal to another.
Better than half the top ten. Is this voted on by kids?!
He is a legend. He is the best goalkeeper. He stopped almost all the shots from any angle, from any shooter. He could go out and in and stop every shot without using his hands. He is the best. He is a legend.
Pat Jennings, the fact that he is adored by Spurs and Arsenal fans tells you everything you need to know. Northern Ireland's last line of defense on umpteen occasions. There are none better.
Best goalkeeper by far. European Footballer of the Year 1973. Exemplary on and off the field.
José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club S.S.C. Reina is the second-best Spanish Goalkeeper, and there isn't much difference between him and Casillas. If you are a Liverpool fan, then only you would know the kind of saves he pulled off in some matches.
Reina is a great goalkeeper. Well, he is only number 3 in the Spanish national team, but he does his job very well at Liverpool and is always there when needed.
To me, the best keeper in the Prem. When he leaves Liverpool, and I know that there are many top goalkeepers around, and when I say that, I mean very good keepers like Neuer and Lloris, but when he leaves... how can I put this... he's a one-of-a-kind goalkeeper without a doubt. He deserves to be in the top ten.
Great versatile goalkeeper known mostly in the AFC and for his resilience in the qualifiers. Definitely the best goalkeeper in Asia.