Ranked: The worst goalkeepers in football history

Throughout football history, goalkeepers have played a vital role as the last line of defence, capable of winning or losing matches single-handedly. While some have become legends, others have earned a less flattering reputation for their performances. From high-profile mistakes to poor decision-making, several keepers have, unfortunately, made the wrong kind of history.

To compile this list, we looked at key factors like decision-making in crucial moments, high-profile errors, whether they lived up to potential and their lasting legacy. Even though they may have enjoyed success at either club or international level, each goalkeeper featured here has struggled to meet the standards expected at the top level. Let’s take a closer look at the keepers who, for various reasons, earned a place in this infamous ranking.

Enckelman’s infamous error for Aston Villa in a Birmingham derby is etched into Premier League history. Failing to control a harmless throw-in, he allowed the ball to roll into his own net. That single mistake defined his career and put paid to any ambitions he had of being a full-time number one. Despite this, he could still earn a living for many years as a backup keeper at many clubs across the British Isles.

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Once considered a reliable and talented goalkeeper with a big reputation, Letizi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain and Rangers is remembered for howlers that frustrated fans. Frequently caught off guard, he made numerous unforced errors in crucial matches. His form in Scotland was so poor that he was quickly replaced as first choice. Letizi struggled with handling crosses and lacked command in the box, undermining his defenders’ confidence.

Once one of the world’s best, De Gea, in his final years at Manchester United, became highly unreliable. High-profile mistakes, including gifting goals in key matches, poor footwork, and hesitancy in dealing with crosses became glaring weaknesses, tarnishing his legacy. Despite his earlier success, his decline was stark and contributed to United’s struggles in the post-Alex Ferguson era. That United boss Erik ten Hag chose to release him on a free transfer and replace him with André Onana speaks volumes.

The flamboyant Frenchman’s Manchester United career was riddled with bizarre decisions and costly mistakes. His overconfidence often led to misjudged attempts to play out from the back. Barthez was prone to lapses in concentration, too, gifting goals to opponents in critical matches. Despite his World Cup-winning pedigree, his inconsistency always left fans with the feeling that he was the weak link in the side.

After an excellent start to his career at Ipswich Town, Wright was touted as England’s next great goalkeeper. However, his career was riddled with unfulfilled potential and high-profile gaffes. At Arsenal and Everton, he often looked out of his depth, flapping at crosses and misjudging shots. Injury-prone and inconsistent, Wright became a journeyman without ever establishing himself. His blunders in routine situations overshadowed his early promise, though he later found a role as a homegrown-quota-filler as third-choice goalkeeper at Manchester City.

You don't get a nickname like 'Calamity James' for nothing! The former England international’s career was littered with high-profile errors. His tendency to overcommit and misjudge routine saves often led to costly goals. Despite his athletic ability and longevity (he's fifth on the list of all-time Premier League appearances), James is remembered as much for his errors as for his impressive shot-stopping on his good days. As a result, he never reached the heights expected of him when he joined Liverpool in 1992, playing mostly in mid-table.

To say that the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, signed for €80 million (£71.6 million) from Athletic Club, according to Transfermarkt, failed to live up to his price tag at Chelsea is an understatement. At Stamford Bridge, Kepa was notorious for poor decision-making, including refusing to be substituted in the 2019 Carabao Cup final. A series of weak performances, poor command in the air, and costly blunders led to his benching and made him persona non grata at Chelsea. After struggling to displace Andriy Lunin during a loan spell at Real Madrid, Kepa is aiming to rebuild his career at Bournemouth—quite a major fall from grace.

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Krul’s long tenure at Newcastle and Norwich highlights a concerning trend in his career. With a record 1.65 goals conceded per game, he holds the highest goals conceded per match ratio among EPL keepers to have played more than 15,000 minutes (as per StatMuse). His prolonged presence at both clubs (over 300 appearances in total) suggests that Krul may have been the common denominator in their defensive woes, as his performances often failed to inspire confidence in front of goal.

Carson’s career never quite lived up to the promise he showed as a young goalkeeper. He is mostly remembered for his error in England’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia; it was his mishandling of Niko Kranjcar's long-range shot in a 3-2 defeat at Wembley that helped seal England’s failure to qualify and Steve MacLaren's sacking the very next day. Since then, his reputation has been tarnished. He was soon let go by Liverpool (where he had won the Champions League in 2005) to play for various struggling sides, before Manchester City decided he was the man to fill the third-choice keeper role vacated by the previously mentioned Richard Wright.

Although the whole world knows him for his famous 'Scorpion Kick' in a friendly against England at Wembley in 1995, Higuita’s risk-taking didn't always pay off. In fact, it often backfired. His tendency to dribble outside the box led to costly mistakes, including a critical error against Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup. While entertaining, Higuita’s reckless pursuit of flair over security often put his team in danger.

Bogdán's stint in England was marred by a series of high-profile mistakes. Across 26 Premier League appearances for Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool, the Hungarian conceded a whopping 51 goals (only one clean sheet), according to Transfermarkt. His most infamous blunders came during the 2015-16 season for the Reds, including dropping a corner kick in a 3-0 loss to Watford and then conceding directly from a corner in a 2-2 draw with Exeter City in the FA Cup. Having been signed seemingly on a whim by Brendan Rodgers following a man-of-the-match performance against his side, Jurgen Klopp knew Bogdán was out of his depth and had seen enough. He never appeared at the top level again.

West Ham fans remember Roberto’s 2019 stint for all the wrong reasons. Deputising for the injured Lukasz Fabianski, he delivered a series of shocking performances, including punching the ball into his own net, which led to widespread ridicule. Having clearly become a liability, Roberto’s confidence quickly eroded, and he was replaced after just a handful of appearances. Speaking to Sky Sports, former manager Manuel Pellegrini later credited Roberto’s poor form as a key factor in his own sacking.

Karius became a symbol of heartbreak after his disastrous performance for Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final. Despite a solid season until that point, two glaring mistakes in the Kyiv final — gifting Karim Benzema a goal and fumbling Gareth Bale’s shot — overshadowed his entire career. His confidence never recovered, leading to a series of loan spells and, now, obscurity.

Having earned a big reputation as a talented stopper at Aston Villa, Bosnich’s decline at Manchester United and then Chelsea was characterised by poor decision-making and fitness problems. His off-field controversies, including a high-profile drug scandal, a lack of professionalism and an inability to stay focused in critical moments, meant he ultimately couldn't live up to expectations.

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Cruelly nicknamed 'The Blind Venetian', Taibi’s brief stint at Manchester United, having joined from Venezia for €5.30m in 1999, was marred by catastrophic errors. His most infamous moment came against Southampton, when he let Matt Le Tissier’s tame shot slip under him. As per Transfermarkt, Taibi conceded 11 goals in just four matches before being dropped. Poor positioning, shaky hands and an inability to adapt to Premier League football sealed his fate.