Have you ever wondered who the greatest goalkeepers in history might be? There are many goalkeepers who have made some remarkable saves that turned the tides of their teams and left legacies that cannot be rubbished.
The most amazing goalkeepers have set themselves apart by delivering high performances in big games and against big opponents. They are also recognized for consistency for both national teams and their clubs. With many big names in the history of football, here are 15 that we have decided may just be the best yet.
Greatest Goalkeepers Of All Time
1. Lev Yashin (USSR)
Known as the “Black Spider,” Yashin is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of football.
Unlike many other goalkeepers of his time who would always stand glued to the goal line, he had no qualms rushing out to meet attackers and clear balls even before they got to him.
Yashin once played ice hockey as a goalie before deciding to concentrate on soccer fully. In his playing days, he slugged it out for Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet Union national team. He made more than 150 saves in a career where he featured in at least 813 games, keeping 4 clean sheets in 12 World Cup games for his country.
He won the European Championship with the USSR in 1960 and was awarded the Golden Ball at the 1963 European Championship. Yashin was known for his incredible reflexes, shot-stopping ability, and leadership.
2. Gordon Banks (England)
Gordon Banks was an English goalkeeper who played for the England national team and also for several English clubs including Leister City and Stoke City.
Banks is best known for his incredible save from Pele’s header during the 1970 World Cup. He won the World Cup with England in 1966 and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six times.
Thanks to his exceptional reflexes, shot-stopping ability, and distribution, he is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to have ever lived.
3. Dino Zoff (Italy)
Dino Zoff is the oldest to have ever won the World Cup when he clinched the trophy with Italy in 1982. But more than that, he is one of the most decorated and respected goalies in football history.
He also played with Juventus. Zoff with which he won six Serie A titles and two European Cups. He became known for his exceptional leadership, shot-stopping ability, and distribution.
4. Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Manuel Peter Neuer is the greatest goalkeeper alive and still playing. He started his career in 2004 and has continued to play, for more than 2 decades later.
Neuer plays for the German national teams as well as for Bayern Munich. With the team, he became the fastest goalkeeper to reach 100 clean sheets after making just 183 appearances in the Bundis Liga.
He won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and has been named the UEFA Best Goalkeeper four times. Neuer is known for his exceptional reflexes, shot-stopping ability, and sweeper-keeper style.
5. Oliver Kahn (Germany)
Oliver Rolf Kahn is one of the most commanding and aggressive men to have ever manned the goalpost. Arguably the greatest of all time, he played for the German national team as well as Bayern Munich.
Kahn is one of the most successful goalkeepers in history. He won the Golden Ball at the 2002 World Cup and led Bayern Munich to four Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League.
Kahn was known for his exceptional leadership, shot-stopping ability, and distribution. He retired in 2008.
6. Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands)
Edwin van der Sar is probably the greatest goalkeeper to have ever played in the English Premier League. The Dutch national team goalie had a successful career with Ajax before moving to the English side.
Van der Sar is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in history, winning two UEFA Champions League titles and four Premier League titles with Manchester United.
The legendary Manchester United former goalkeeper was known for his exceptional shot-stopping ability and leadership.
7. René Higuita (Colombia)
José René Higuita Zapata is one of the greatest footballers in history but more than that, he is one of the highest goal-scoring goalkeepers in the history of football. He played for the Colombian national team and various clubs including Atlético Nacional and Deportivo Pereira.
Higuita earned his place amongst the most known goalkeepers for his incredible reflexes and shot-stopping ability. He might have retired in 2009, but he is still famous on social media thanks to his scorpion kick skills.
8. Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Kasper Schmeichel might be a great goalkeeper, but he is still yet to attain the heights of his father, Peter Bolesław Schmeichel, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
He played for the Denmark national team and Manchester United where he won many trophies including 5 Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and a UEFA Champions League trophy. He won the European Championship with Denmark in 1992 and was named the UEFA Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993.
9. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
Legendary Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, also known as Gigi, is yet another goalkeeper that is considered in the class of the greatest of all time.
Buffon started his career in 1991 and has gone on to play for the Italy national team as well as various clubs including Juventus, Parma, and Paris Saint-Germain. He played until 2023 when he retired.
Buffon has won many titles including FIFA World Cup in 2006, the UEFA European Championship, Seria A, and Ligue 1.
10. Iker Casillas (Spain)
Casillas is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in history. The former goalkeeper played for Spain’s national team until 2016. He also played for Real Madrid and Porto. Iker Casillas played from 1998 until 2020 when he retired.
Iker won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 with Spain and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championship. He also won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and several UEFA Champions League.
SEE ALSO: Roosevelt Grier- Who Is The Former Footballer And What Happened To Him?
11. Petr Čech (Czech Republic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY3sE8kJdks
Considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League, Petr Čech started playing in 1999 and continued until 2019 when he retired. He played for the Czech Republic national team as well as for clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal.
The 2023 Premier League Hall of Famer won 4 Premier Leagues, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League.
12. Jorge Campos (Mexico)
Jorge Campos Navarrete started his career as a football goalkeeper in the late 1980s and continued until the early 2000s when he retired.
Recognized for his flamboyant style of goalkeeping, he played for the Mexico national team as well as various clubs including UNAM and Puebla. Campos was named the Mexican Footballer of the Year four times.
13. Thomas Ravelli (Sweden)
Swedish former professional footballer, Thomas Ravelli, played for the Swedish national team as well as Öster. He is widely considered not only one of the greatest goalkeepers in Swedish history but in the history of football.
He was known for his exceptional shot-stopping ability, distribution, and leadership, and was named the Swedish Footballer of the Year three times. In a career that lasted 21 years, he appeared in two world cups; 1990 and 1994.
14. Andoni Zubizarreta (Spain)
Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta played for Spain and various clubs including Athletico Bilbao, Barcelona, and Valencia. He is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in Spanish history, winning the European Championship with Spain in 1964, six La Liga titles, and the European Cup with Barcelona.
Before he retired in 1998, Zubi was known to have dominated the 1990s thanks to his exceptional shot-stopping ability, distribution, and leadership.
15. David Seaman (England)
David Seaman was not the most known goalkeeper on the list, but he is also seen as one of the greatest. He played for the English national team as well as several clubs including Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
He is often seen as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history with three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with Arsenal.
