Goalkeepers are sometimes neglected or undervalued in rankings of top footballers, yet their agility and attention outperform those of other positions. The goalkeeper's job is to keep the ball out of a 7.32 x 2.44-meter goal in whatever way that he or she can.
Goalkeepers must remain awake for several minutes before being invited to play, and their split-second judgments can sometimes affect the outcome of an entire match. The ten most successful goalkeepers of all time are listed below.
10. Petr Čech - Czech Republic
Photo: transfermarkt
A professional player from the Czech Republic is currently working as a technical advisor and emergency guardian for Chelsea, one of the Premier League champions. Many players, commentators, and coaches considered him to be one of the best goalkeepers in history.
Cech began his senior career in 1999 with Chmel Blsany, where he irregularly appeared for two seasons until joining Sparta Prague in 2001.
Cech has a total of 124 caps for the Czech Republic, the most in the team's history. He was named to the Euro 2004 All-Star Team for his role in bringing the Czech Republic to the semi-finals before retiring from the international competition in 2016. Cech is also the record holder for the Golden Ball and the Czech Footballer of the Year.
Cech owns the Premier League record for the fewest number of appearances required to reach 100 appearances without conceding a goal, with only 180. He is also the only goalie in history to win the Golden Glove four times for two different clubs.
9. Edwin Van Der Sar - Netherlands
Photo: transfermarkt
Sar was a professional football player and senior manager with AFC Ajax during his time there. He was a member of the club's Golden Generation and the first Golden Generation since he was part of the first group of Ajax players to win the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
With 130 caps in 2017, Wesley Sneijder was the most capped player in the Netherlands. Van der Sar is recognized as one of the best goalkeepers of all time by critics and colleagues. He is also one of the most accomplished goalkeepers of all time, with 26 major trophies to his name, mostly with Ajax and Manchester United.
During the 311-2008 season, he also set a world record by not allowing a league goal for 1 minute. Sar is also the oldest player to ever win the Premier League, having done it at the age of 2011 years and 40 days in 2009.
Van der Sar has won various honors, including Europe's top goalie in 1995 and 2009, as well as UEFA goalkeeper of the year in 2009. And he remained one of the highest-paid footballers of all time throughout his career.
8. Gordon Banks - England
Photo: stokecityfc
As a professional footballer, Banks played goalie for the English national team. During his professional career, Banks featured in 679 games for England, winning 73 of them, including starting all of the country's 1966 World Cup fixtures.
Despite being Stoke's and England's number one, he lost his right eyesight and his career in a vehicle accident in October 1972. And that was the end of one of the world's best footballers' careers.
Banks is regarded as one of football's greatest successful goalkeepers. He was named Goalkeeper of the Year six times by FIFA, and Player of the Year by the FWA in 1972.
Banks was rated second behind Lev Yashin (20th) and ahead of Dino Zoff on his list of the top goalkeepers of the twentieth century (1st).
7. Dino Zoff - Italy
Photo: milanreports
Dino Zoff, a former professional football goalkeeper, was born on February 28, 1942. At the age of 40, the captain of the Italian national team won the 1982 World Cup, making him the oldest winner ever. He also received the title of the best goalkeeper.
His two shutouts at the competition helped him earn a spot on the tournament team, an accolade he also received after winning the 1968 European Championship at home.
Zoff had an excellent career as one of the most accomplished goalkeepers of all time, avoiding injuries and demonstrating stamina, endurance, and dedication. In addition, he has put on some of the most incredible displays in many of the world's most prestigious football leagues.
The Golden Player Award, given by the Italian Football Federation, has been given to him as the best player of the last 50 years. Zoff also holds the record for the longest time without surrendering a goal in international football (1142 minutes).
6. Manuel Neuer - Germany
Photo: bayernstrikes
Neuer was born on March 27, 1986, in Dortmund, Germany. He is a German national team and Bayern Munich professional footballer. His accomplishments position him among the top goalkeepers in sports history.
In addition, he is now the finest football goalie in the world.
He is distinguished for his style of play and ability to get out of his goal crease before his opponents.
The Schalke 04 player began his career with victories in the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Ligapokal. Since 2011, he has been Bayern Munich's champion, winning 25 trophies in total, including nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League titles.
Neuer finished third in the FIFA Ballon d'Or voting in 2014, after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Five times he has won the UEFA Best Goalkeeper Award and the IFFHS UEFA World's Best Goalkeeper Award.
5. Oliver Kahn - Germany
Photo: talksport
As well as being a professional player, the former goalie is also a German football manager. Since 1975, he has been a member of the Karlsruher SC Junior squad, where he began his career. Kahn also made his debut on this seasoned team in December 2006.
In 1994, he was traded to Bayern Munich for 4.6 million German marks after joining Chelsea in 1993 and playing for them until the end of his career in 2008. He has a long list of accomplishments and is regarded as one of the most successful goalkeepers in history.
Bayern has won the UEFA Intercontinental Cup in addition to eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal titles, the UEFA Cup in 1996, and the UEFA Champions League in 2001. Some of the top goalie gloves hold the name of this German icon as a tribute.
Furthermore, he has won three IFFHS awards for best goalkeeper in the world and two German footballers of the year awards. At the 2002 World Cup, Kahn became the first goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, making him the first goalkeeper to do so in the tournament's history.
4. Peter Schmeichel - Denmark
Photo: transfermarkt
Schmeichel was a goalkeeper for the Danish national team during his professional football career. His greatest triumph came while he was at Manchester United, as he won the UEFA Champions League final in 1999 to complete the treble. He was highly regarded as one of the greatest athletes in the world during his prime.
In addition, he and Denmark won the UEFA Euro 1992. With a height of 6 feet 3 inches, he is noted for his distinctive tall physique. Peter has also made the most appearances for the Danish national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001.
He is one of the most successful goalkeepers of all time thanks to his outstanding performance and exceptional ability. In 1992 and 1993, he was voted the top goalkeeper in several IFFHS surveys. Many people, including Petr Cech, considered him to be the finest goalkeeper in Premier League history when he played for IFFHS in 2000.
Schmeichel and Manchester United won the treble, the FA Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League, at the end of Schmeichel's career.
3. Iker Casillas - Spain
Photo: transfermarkt
Iker Casillas Fernández is a former goalkeeper who has represented Spain on several occasions. Casillas has a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, earning the moniker "San Iker" for his remarkable saves (Saint Iker). He is athletic, has outstanding reaction speeds, and is a responsive player, making him one of the best shooters in the world.
Casillas has played in almost 1000 professional matches over his long tenure with Real Madrid. The record for the most goalless goals is held by the Spanish national team and the UEFA Champions League. He is still regarded as one of the best footballers of all time, even after his retirement.
Iker was named the best goalkeeper of the 2010 World Cup, which was Iker's first World Cup victory as a Spanish goalie. Spain won the European Championship for the second time in 2012, defending the title for the second time.
He achieved the record for the most consecutive minutes (509) without surrendering a goal in the competition. Iker is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game.
2. Lev Yashin - Soviet Union
Photo: transfermarkt
A former Soviet goalie is known as the "Black Spider" or "Black Panther." He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game.
His athleticism, positioning, size, bravery, imposing presence in goal, and spectacular reaction saves made him a fan favorite. He was also the Soviet Union's Football Federation's deputy chairman.
1. Gianluigi Buffon - Italy
Photo: skysports
He is widely recognized as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and by many as the greatest ever, as an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for Serie B team Parma. He is one of the few players to have appeared in over 1,100 games in his professional career.
Pelé named Buffon to the FIFA 100 list of the finest living players in the world in 2004. He is the only goalie to win the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year title, which he won after helping his team reach the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final; he also won UEFA's award for best goalkeeper that year, and was named to the UEFA Team of the Year five times.
Buffon was a three-time member of the FIFPro World11 and was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2006. He was the first goalie to earn the Golden Foot Award, and he won the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award five times in a row.
