20 Greatest Goalkeepers in Football History (Ranked)

Football goalkeepers play a huge role in a team every season. Acting as the final barrier of defence, their crucial saves, last-minute heroics and composure in between the sticks can be the difference between success and failure. An outfield player can make a mistake and get away with it; a goalkeeper can’t. As they play with hopes and dreams on their backs, they have to perform at the highest level every week.

Elite goalkeepers are capable of winning points almost single-handedly and the very best are often held in the highest regard by the clubs they’ve starred for. Liverpool struggled with Loris Karius in goal during 2018, as the German made two crucial mistakes to see the Reds lose the Champions League final to Real Madrid. They brought Alisson Becker in the summer of 2018, helping them win the Champions League a year later. It showcases how crucial they are. This article ranks the 20 greatest goalkeepers of all time, taking into account several factors which we have outlined below.

Ranking Factors

• Longevity – If they performed at the top of the sport for a longer period, they have been ranked higher.
• Consistency of world-class performances – It sounds simple, but world-class performances week in and week out make a goalkeeper better. If they’ve done that throughout their career, they have been ranked highly.
• Performances in finals – Finals are the most important matches of a player’s career. If a goalkeeper has made a crucial save or been a significant contribution to them winning a trophy, they have been ranked higher.

Best goalkeepers image gallery

20 Peter Shilton

Professional career: 1966-1997

Peter Shilton is one of the best English goalkeepers ever. He is most well-known for his contribution to Nottingham Forest’s two European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980. Brian Clough heralded Shilton as one of his most important signings, as he also helped the East Midlands club secure the First Division title in 1978.

Shilton made 125 appearances for his country, playing in some high-profile World Cup matches, including the quarter-final against Argentina, where Diego Maradona scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal past him. Although he was unable to secure a major tournament for the Three Lions, he holds the record for the most caps for his country.

19 Andoni Zubizarreta

Professional career: 1981-1998

Andoni Zubizarreta is a Spanish football legend, representing his country 126 times from 1985 to 1998. He played in seven major tournaments for his country, captaining his country to the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Zubizarretta also had an illustrious club career, playing for the likes of Barcelona, Valencia, and Athletic Bilbao. He won La Liga twice for the Basque side, including the league and cup double in the 1983/84 season, but his main success was in Catalonia. As a Barcelona player, Zubizarretta played an integral part in securing six La Liga titles, as well as the 1991/92 European Cup under the management of Johan Cruyff. The Spanish goalkeeper was ahead of his time in terms of his ability with the ball at his feet and ease under pressure.

18 Dino Zoff

Professional career: 1961-1983

Dino Zoff was an ever-present member of the Juventus and Italy teams throughout the 1970s. His most notable achievement is undoubtedly his 1982 World Cup triumph for the Azzurri, where he captained the side to glory. After finishing runner-up in 1970, it was looking as if Zoff would go his whole career without a World Cup triumph, but 1982 saw the legendary goalkeeper win the trophy at the age of 40.

At club level, he was even more successful, winning six Serie A titles as well as two Coppa Italia titles and a UEFA Cup. The only thing that Zoff didn’t tick off his resume was the European Cup. He was a runner-up in 1973 and a decade later when Juventus lost to Hamburger SV.

17 Neville Southall

Professional career: 1980-2002

Neville Southall began his career in English football at Bury in 1980, before joining Everton a year later. Southall spent 17 years at the Merseyside club, winning two league titles, two FA Cups, and the 1984/85 European Cup Winners’ Cup. He remains the all-time record appearance holder for the Toffees and is still renowned as one of the best players in the club’s history.

In the 1980s, Southall was well-recognised as the best goalkeeper in English football. In the 1984/85 title-winning campaign, Southhall picked up the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. He also made 92 appearances for Wales, making his debut on 27th May 1982.

16 Sepp Maier

Professional career: 1962-1980

Sepp Maier is Bayern Munich’s all-time record appearance holder, with 707 appearances for the Bavarian club. During his 18-year stint in southern Germany, Maier won four Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokal crowns and, most notably, a trio of European Cups. The eccentric goalkeeper was recognised for his individual contributions on three occasions, picking up the German Footballer of the Year award in 1975, 1977, and 1978.

Not only was Maier successful at club level, but he was also a multiple major tournament winner for West Germany. He won the UEFA European Championship in 1972 before winning the World Cup only two years later. West Germany won the 1974 World Cup on home soil, beating their fierce international rivals, the Netherlands, 2-1 in the final.

15 Hugo Lloris

Professional career: 2005-present

Hugo Lloris was at the heart of Tottenham’s modern-day ‘golden era’ from 2012 until 2024. He was their captain under manager Mauricio Pochettino, providing experience in the key matches. The Frenchman was a world-class goalkeeper season after season, with a string of penalty saves in the 2018/19 campaign helping Spurs secure Champions League football and reach the final.

However, he never won a trophy with the Lilywhites, unlike his time as France captain. Lloris became a world champion with Les Bleus in 2018, and he was unfortunate to miss out on a second World Cup winner’s medal four years later. The former Tottenham captain was also a runner-up in the 2016 European Championships, but he was victorious in the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League.

14 Thibaut Courtois

Professional career: 2009-Present

Thibaut Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Real Madrid’s number has stuffed his trophy cabinet while playing for the Spanish behemoths. Courtois has won a pair of La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey, but his most impressive performance came in 2022 when he helped the club win the Champions League.

Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final, but Courtois was named ‘Player of the Match’ after a string of fine saves. He walked into the club’s history books. Alongside this, he was a spectacular goalkeeper for rivals Atletico Madrid, winning the Europa League, and became Premier League champion with Chelsea in 2015 and 2017.

13 David Seaman

Professional career: 1982-2004

David Seaman is widely regarded as one of England’s greatest-ever goalkeepers. He made mistakes, including in the 2002 World Cup against Brazil, but he was incredibly consistent during his 24-year career.

The hulking Yorkshire native was one of the most recognisable players in the world due to his iconic ponytail and moustache combination, but he did most of his talking on the pitch. He played over 500 matches for Arsenal, winning three league titles and four FA Cups. Combined with one League Cup, Seaman had an incredible career in the English game, ranking him as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.

12 Dida

Professional career: 1992-2015

Dida is widely considered the greatest Brazilian goalkeeper of all time – and he was the first goalkeeper from his country to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Dida was one of the best players in his position during the mid-2000s with AC Milan.

The Rossoneri boasted a formidable line-up around this time and Dida was stood behind one of football’s best defences, including Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini. Throughout his career, he won one World Cup, one Copa America, two Champions Leagues and one Serie A title. With over 300 appearances for AC Milan, he is a walking legend.

11 Pat Jennings

Professional career: 1963-1986

Very few players are widely loved by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Their fierce rivalry has been burning for decades, but Jennings played for both – and he was adored by both. He made over 450 appearances for Tottenham before making the switch to Arsenal for another 237 appearances.

On the international front, only Steven Davis (140 appearances) has been capped more times by Northern Ireland than Jennings, who went on to work as a goalkeeper coach after ending his playing career following the briefest of stints with Everton in 1986. Throughout his career, he won one UEFA Cup, two League Cups and two FA Cups.

10 Gordon Banks

Professional career: 1958-1978

‘Oh, what a save,’ is one of the most memorable pieces of commentary in the history of sports media. Gordon Banks made the save in 1970, denying the legendary Pele with a save that the naked eye struggled to comprehend. It remains one of the greatest saves of all time.

He spent most of his playing career at Leicester and Stoke, winning one League Cup at both. However, his legacy is enhanced by his time with the England national team. He helped the Three Lions win the World Cup in 1966, amassing 73 caps over the years, including that legendary match against Brazil in 1970.

9 Alisson Becker

Professional career: 2013-present

Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp signed Alisson in 2018 to take them to the next level – and he did exactly that. After the disappointment of losing the 2018 Champions League final, the Brazilian brought new life to the team at Anfield, providing composure between the sticks.

Since arriving on Merseyside, Alisson has won one Champions League, one Premier League and a plethora of domestic cups. Utterly undroppable as long as he is fit and healthy, whenever the Brazilian leaves Liverpool he will go down as one of the club’s greatest-ever players. Alisson followed his brother’s footsteps to become a goalkeeper but has exceeded his older sibling and almost any other soul to have ever put on a pair of gloves.

8 Edwin van der Sar

Professional career: 1990-2016

Edwin van der Sar won 26 major trophies throughout his career. He was the oldest man to lift the Premier League during his days with Manchester United, which epitomised his longevity and talent as a goalkeeper.

The Dutchman still holds an impressive world record after going 1,311 minutes without conceding during the 2008/09 Premier League campaign. As a key figure for Sir Alex Ferguson, he made over 266 appearances for Man United, coming after impressive spells at Ajax and Fulham. Coupled with 130 appearances for his country, Van der Sar walks into this list as one of the best of all time.

7 Peter Schmeichel

Professional career: 1981-2003

Van der Sar is not the only Man United legend on this list. Peter Schmeichel is also widely considered one of the world’s greatest-ever goalkeepers due to his 22-year playing career.

Schmeichel was in goal when Denmark stunned the world by winning Euro 1992, and he then established his status as the world’s best goalkeeper at Man United, where he enjoyed a hugely successful eight-year spell. He left the club after winning the treble in 1999, but, coupled with his 121 appearances for Denmark and spells at Aston Villa and Manchester City, Schmeichel remains one of the best of all time.

6 Petr Cech

Professional career: 1999-2019

Petr Cech goes down as one of the most iconic goalkeepers of all time in the Premier League. A serious head injury in 2006 left him with a fractured skull, but surgery and then a helmet allowed him to continue to play. The injury didn’t stop him from making world-class saves every week, guiding Chelsea to consistent success.

The scrum-cap-sporting shot-stopper made 494 appearances for Chelsea, winning 18 major trophies with them, including four Premier League titles. Cech holds the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history (202), with David James behind in second spot (169). While Cech didn’t always cover himself in glory during his four-year spell at Arsenal, his status as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation remains intact.

5 Oliver Kahn

Professional career: 1987-2008

Oliver Kahn is one of Germany’s greatest-ever goalkeepers, showcased by his 86 appearances for his country. He was a colossus for Bayern Munich and Germany as an imposing figure, which saw him bellow instructions to the defence in front of him.

Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern, six German Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2001 – two years after finding himself on the receiving end of Manchester United’s extraordinary comeback at Camp Nou. Impressively, Kahn won the Golden Ball award at the 2002 World Cup after being named the tournament’s best player, despite the fact Germany lost to Ronaldo’s Brazil.

4 Iker Casillas

Professional career: 1999-2020

Iker Casillas’ name is synonymous with the word ‘world-class’ during these conversations. Through his 16 years at Real Madrid, he made a remarkable 725 appearances, winning three Champions League trophies and five La Liga titles.

However, it was his work for Spain which was even more impressive. Casillas was at the heart of the team’s dominance from 2008 to 2012, winning the Euros, World Cup and Euros again every two years. The Spaniard provided composure and trust between the sticks, making him loved by coaches and fellow players. His career ended after suffering a heart attack while playing for Porto, but – thankfully – he made a full recovery.

3 Manuel Neuer

Professional career: 2005-present

Just like Casillas, Manuel Neuer has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the modern era. In truth, he redefined the essence of the role of a goalkeeper, playing as a ‘sweeper keeper’ throughout his career. Rushing out of goal proved effective for him, helping his team dictate the tempo of matches.

A centurion at international level, the confident custodian has made more than 500 appearances for Bayern Munich. No goalkeeper in the history of Germany’s top flight has ever kept more clean sheets than Neuer. Winning the World Cup in 2014 remains his greatest achievement, although he has also won the Champions League twice, in 2013 and 2020, with Bayern.

2 Gianluigi Buffon

Professional career: 1995-2023

Gianluigi Buffon famously went his entire career without winning the Champions League, part of a remarkable XI that never won the European Cup. He tried – and tried again – but he always failed to complete his one main mission. Despite this, he is still one of the greatest of all time.

He won 10 Serie A titles and six Italian Cups during his career with Juventus and Parma, highlighting his longevity in the game. He made his debut in 1995 and didn’t retire until 2023, spanning 28 years. Buffon played a key role in Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph as well, allowing him to rank second on our list.

1 Lev Yashin

Professional career: 1950-1970

Lev Yashin is arguably the most famous figure in the history of goalkeeping. His name was used for the top award given out by France Football, named the Yashin Trophy. It was established in 2019 to celebrate the best-performing goalkeeper every year – and using Yashin’s name highlights how good he was.

Nicknamed ‘The Black Spider’, the old Soviet Union and Dynamo Moscow icon remains the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or – a feat which he achieved back in 1963. He made 358 appearances for Dynamo Moscow and 74 for the Soviet Union, even winning the 1960 Euros in the process.

All career stats courtesy of Transfermarkt and correct as of 20/05/2024.