The 21 greatest goalkeepers in the history of football

The goalkeeper, the only player allowed to use their hands, undoubtedly holds a unique role in football – even their distinct jersey reinforces their special place on the team. While football history often highlights the attacking stars, countless goalkeepers have left an indelible mark on the sport.

Considered the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game, the Soviet Lev Yashin (1929-1990) is the only one in this position to have ever won the Golden Ball (the prize for the best player in Europe), in 1963. Winner of numerous individual and collective trophies with Dynamo Moscow and the USSR team, he gave his name to the award for the best goalkeeper of the season.

Gordon Banks went down in history as the goalkeeper for the England team when they won the World Cup at home in 1966, but above all as the star of the "stop of the century" against King Pelé during the next edition. Nicknamed "Banks of England" because of the security he offered his teams, he became chairman of the Stoke City club until his death in 2019.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Italian Dino Zoff is also considered one of the biggest names in the history of the position. During his exceptionally long career, the goalkeeper won six Italian championships, and he won the World Cup with the Azzurri in 1982. Voted European goalkeeper of the year four times, he then successfully converted as a coach.

Born in 1944, Sepp Maier was with Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller one of the pillars of German football in the 1970s: in addition to the Euro–World Cup double (1972 and 1974), he was three times European champion with Bayern Munich. After hanging up his boots, he became goalkeeper coach at Mannschaft and then Bayern, where he trained another legend, Oliver Kahn.

Peter Schmeichel's name is of course inseparable from Denmark's surprise victory at Euro 1992, but almost is equally synonymous with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, which he left after the snatch victory against Bayern in the Champions League final in 1999. His son Kasper also became a succesful goalkeeper.

French football fans still have cold sweats about José Luis Chilavert! In the round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup at home, the Blues were unable to find the fault against the Paraguayan rock until Laurent Blanc's golden goal in extra time. Considered one of the best goalkeepers of the 1990s, Chilavert also spent two years at RC Strasbourg at the end of his career.

An absolute legend of German football, Oliver Kahn is a goalkeeper with a strong character and a solid mind. Kahn won 23 trophies in the Bayern Munich jersey, in addition to Euro 1996. But he failed with the 'Nationalmannschaft' on the biggest stage, falling short against a Brazil team bolstered by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the World Cup 2002 final.

A symbol of the triumphant Ajax Amsterdam in the 1990s, Edwin van der Sar also kept the cages of Juventus Turin, Fulham and Manchester United while winning in the national team. In addition to his well-filled trophy cabinet, the Dutchman has accumulated records of longevity and invincibility in his cage (1,311 consecutive minutes in the Premier League and more than 50 Champions League matches).

Legendary goalkeeper for the France team during the World Cup–Euro double between 1998 and 2000, Fabien Barthez also had a brilliant club career between Marseille, Monaco and Manchester United. His bald head that Laurent Blanc came to kiss at the start of each international match and his famous puppet in the 'Guignols de l'info' satirical TV show have made him a popular idol beyond his performances on the pitch.

Victorious at the 2002 World Cup, the Brazilian goalkeeper Dida was also one of the strong men of the great AC Milan, two-time winner of the Champions League in 2003 and 2007. Sometimes clumsy, Dida has always been able to raise his level of play in decisive moments.

How could we make a top 20 of the best goalkeepers in history without mentioning "Gigi" Buffon? The Italian goalkeeper has been playing for more than 25 years with an elegance that is matched only by his longevity. Trained in Parma where he returned in 2021, he spent 17 seasons at Juventus in Turin and won the 2006 World Cup with the Azzurri. The only downside in his career: he never managed to win the Champions League.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

In the cages of 'La Roja' during the legendary Euro – World Cup – Euro treble from 2008 to 2012, Spaniard Iker Casillas also experienced the two eras of the Real Madrid Galacticos.

From the victory in the Champions League in 2002 with Zidane, Luis Figo, and Raul to that of 2014 in the team led by Cristiano Ronaldo. Regarded among the best in his position in the 2000s, he ended up losing his place at Real to Diego Lopez, in the midst of a power struggle between Jose Mousirhno and the veterans squad.

Czech Petr Cech was the last lock in José Mourinho's impregnable Chelsea defense in the 2000s. After winning the Champions League with the Blues in 2012, he ended his career at Arsenal. A skull fracture in the middle of a match in 2006 forced him to play the rest of his career with a helmet that became his hallmark.

With his reflex saves and his participation in the team's game in the recovery, Manuel Neuer revolutionized the position and established himself as one of the best "goalies" of the 2010s. World Cup 2014, the player trained at Schalke 04 won 27 trophies including 2 Champions Leagues with Bayern Munich.

Born in 1986, Keylor Navas was late to reveal himself to the general public, only really making a name for himself with Costa Rica as quarter-finalists of the 2014 World Cup. The same year, the goalkeeper was transferred to Real Madrid, where he stole the place of Iker Casillas before winning three consecutive Champions Leagues. Navas left La Casa Blanca for PSG in 2019.

Another Frenchman in this top 20! Hugo Lloris has retired from international football, but he will remain as the emblematic captain of the selection of Didier Deschamps victorious at the 2018 World Cup. Trained in Lyon, the Nice native played for more than 10 years at Tottenham, where he reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Blocked by the unbeatable Manuel Neuer in the national team, Marc-André ter Stegen has nevertheless successfully kept the cages of FC Barcelona since 2014, when he won the Champions League in his first season. Neuer's age and his consistency at the highest level in the club should allow him to finally establish himself in the main team of the Mannschaft.

Trained in Genk, Thibaut Courtois experienced an irresistible rise in after moving from Atlético to Real Madrid via Chelsea. Man of the match in the last Champions League final, he won the 2022 Yachine trophy while finishing 7th in the Ballon d'Or.

Bought for 62.5 million euros (US $66.5m) by Liverpool from AS Roma in 2018, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker stabilized the defense of the Reds, who won the Champions League the following season, then the Premier League, which had eluded them for 30 years, in 2020. Then at the top, Alisson also started in the Auriverde cages during the World Cup in Russia.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak is inseparable from the impeccable career of Atlético Madrid, where he arrived in 2014. Winners of the Europa League in 2018 and of the Spanish championship ahead of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in 2021, the Colchoneros owe much of their success to the consistent performance of their goalie.