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⁠Top 10 Goalkeepers Of All Time

The role of a goalkeeper in football is quite possibly the most important yet the most unforgiving. It is a thankless job, as no matter how many saves you make in a game, if you let one goal in, your mistake is what will be looked at, and all your saves will be forgotten. The goalkeeper is the last line of defense, which adds ever more pressure on the players to be switched on for the entirety of the game. This article talks about the greatest goalkeepers in the history of football.

Who Are The Top 10 Goalkeepers Ever?

10. Sepp Maier (1962 – 1980)

Sepp Maier is often regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in football history. He was the undisputed starter for Bayern Munich and West Germany and helped his club and national team become successful. The German keeper won the 1972 European Championship and 1974 World Cup with his country while also lifting three consecutive European Cups with Bayern Munich between 1974 and 1976.

9. Dino Zoff (1961 – 1983)

At the age of 4⃣0⃣, he became the oldest man to lift the #WorldCup – a record that still stands to this day 🏆🇮🇹🙌

Today, the great Dino Zoff turns 7⃣8⃣ 🥳#HBD | @azzurri | @FIGC pic.twitter.com/3SEvIXXzAS

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 28, 2020

Dino Zoff was an Italian professional goalkeeper who played the sport between 1961 to 1983. He is known for being the oldest footballer to have ever won the FIFA World Cup. Zoff was 40 years old when he captained Italy to victory at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. The Italian keeper also had a stellar domestic career and won the European Championship alongside six Serie A titles with Juventus.

8. Edwin van der Sar (1990 – 2016)

Credit: Bleacher Report

Edwin van der Sar is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time. The Dutch goalkeeper played exceptionally for his national team and made a name for himself playing for various clubs like Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, and, most notably, Manchester United. The Dutch keeper was one of the first breeds of goalkeepers who were excellent with the ball at their feet and revolutionised the role for generations to come.

7. Peter Schmeichel (1981 – 2003)

Peter Schmeichel is another goalkeeping legend who made his name while performing brilliantly for the Premier League side Manchester United. The Danish keeper won the 1992 UEFA European Championship with his national team. Schmeichel won trophies wherever he went, but the standout period during his career was when he won four Danish first divisions with Brondby, followed by his time at Manchester United, where he won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one EFL Cup, and one UEFA Champions League.

6. Petr Cech (1999 – 2019)

Credit: Sky Sports

Petr Cech is a Czech professional goalkeeper who made a name for himself while representing the Premier League side Chelsea. A serious head injury in 2006 left him with a fractured skull, but surgery and then a helmet, a look that became iconic, allowed him to continue to play. Petr Cech holds the record for the cleanest sheets in Premier League history and was part of the Chelsea squad, which conceded just 15 goals in an entire season.

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ALSO READ: Top 10 Germany Men’s All Time Goal Scorers

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5. Oliver Kahn (1987 – 2008)

Oliver Kahn vs Dynamo Kiev '99 UCL SF 2nd leg pic.twitter.com/iW8iu3xpjj

— 🕊🫂 (@FL4_FCB) January 5, 2025

Oliver Kahn is a German goalkeeper who played for Bayern Munich and the German national football team during his stellar career. Kahn made 632 appearances for Bayern Munich in his career, establishing himself as one of the finest goalkeepers of all time. The German star won loads of trophies on both the domestic and international stages. He won the 1996 UEFA European Championship with Germany while winning eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals, five DFB-Ligapokals, one UEFA Champions League, and one UEFA Cup. Kahn also managed to finish third in the 2002 Ballon d’Or rankings.

4. Iker Casillas (1998 – 2020)

Iker Casillas is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in history. He represented his national team alongside various domestic clubs from 1998 to 2020. Casillas spent the majority of his domestic career playing for Real Madrid, one of the best clubs in the world. With Madrid, he won five La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, four Supercopa de Espanas, and three UEFA Champions League. His international career was equally decorated, and he won the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships alongside the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

3. Manuel Neuer (2004 – Present)

Credit: Eurosport

Manuel Neuer is the best example of a ‘sweeper-keeper’ in football history. While Edwin van der Sar may have invented the role, Neuer definitely perfected it and serves as an inspiration for generations of keepers to follow. Neuer has a ridiculous CV and has won 11 Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals, six DFL-Supercups, and two UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich alongside the coveted FIFA World Cup in 2014 with Germany. He is also one of the only four keepers in history to have finished in the top three rankings of the Ballon d’Or, finishing third in the 2014 Ballon d’Or rankings.

2. Gianluigi Buffon (1995 – 2023)

Gianluigi Buffon is an Italian goalkeeper who is definitely one of the best keepers to have ever graced the sport. He has won nearly every trophy in his career aside from the UEFA Champions League, but that does not take anything away from his stellar career. Buffon played football from 1995 to 2023, winning trophies like the Serie A with Juventus, Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, and the FIFA World Cup with Italy, amongst others. Buffon also finished second in the 2006 Ballon d’Or rankings after having an incredible campaign with Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

1. Lev Yashin (1950 – 1970)

⚽ Soviet football legend Lev #Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to receive the most prestigious #GoldenBall aka Ballon d’Or for the best player of the year.

He was presented with this award #OTD in 1963!

Have you seen #Yashin play? Never too late 👇 pic.twitter.com/nI8ZRRiUly

— Russia 🇷🇺 (@Russia) May 27, 2021

Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper in history to have won the Ballon d’Or, definitely had to be first on this list. Known as the ‘Black  Spider’, Yashin was known for his showmanship and outstanding reflexes, which, alongside his iconic all-black jersey, gave the illusion of him having extra limbs. Yashin played for the Soviet Union while representing just one club, Dynamo Moscow, throughout his domestic career. It is only fair that arguably the greatest keeper ever has an award named after him, and since 2019, the best goalkeeper in the world has been awarded the Yashin Trophy.

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