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Goalkeeper – it’s the position that supposedly nobody really wants to play. Certainly, most kids grow up dreaming of becoming great goal-scorers, wing wizards or dominant defenders. However, over the past few decades, the role of the goalkeeper has evolved, and thus arguably become more important than ever before.
These days, ‘sweeper-keepers’ are all the rage, with the likes of Pep Guardiola requiring their No.1s to be far more than mere shot-stoppers. As well as keeping clean sheets with acrobatic saves, modern goalkeepers also have to be excellent with their feet in order to help their teams build play from the back.
So, as we approach 2025, GOAL has decided to look back on the 21st century so far and count down the game’s greatest goalkeepers. As always, there are going to be some contentious calls, so feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
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Getty25Dida
Dida had his critics during his career – particularly during the tail end of his spell at AC Milan – but he was a tremendous shot-stopper who worked wonders in terms of changing the negative perception of goalkeepers of colour in his native Brazil. Because of his height, he was usually a dominant force in the air, but he was also blessed with fantastic reflexes, as he so thrillingly undermined in the 2003 Champions League final, when he saved three Juventus penalties to help Milan triumph in the shootout.
Dida twice made the podium in the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper vote, in 2004 and 2005, while he also produced several important saves as Milan conquered Europe again in 2007 with a revenge win over Liverpool.
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(C)Getty Images24Yann Sommer
Yann Sommer is finally getting the credit he deserves having been one of the game’s more reliable goalkeepers for the past decade. The Swiss shot-stopper was superb at Euro 2020, with a penalty save from Kylian Mbappe in the last-16 shootout win over France the undoubted highlight of his tournament – though he was also exceptional in the quarter-final loss to Spain.
Sommer also surprised everyone in Serie A by proving an upgrade on Andre Onana when he joined Inter from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, with the veteran named in the Italian top-flight’s Team of the Season after keeping more clean sheets than anyone else across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues.
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AFP23Jens Lehmann
A man who appeared to support the stereotype that one has to be ‘crazy’ to be a goalkeeper, Jens Lehman generated plenty of headlines because of his on-field clashes with opponents and public criticism of team-mates. But while the former Arsenal ace is probably best remembered for his historic red card in the 2006 Champions League final loss to Barcelona, it’s worth remembering that the Gunners wouldn’t have made it to Paris without Lehmann’s penalty save against Villarreal in the last four. He was also an ever-present for the ‘Invincibles’ during their undefeated 2003-04 Premier League campaign.
Lehmann, who started for Germany in the Euro 2008 final loss to Spain, may have been a bit mad, but he was also a top-class goalkeeper at his peak.
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Getty22Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris has come in for his fair share of criticism over the years – primarily due to his sometimes poor distribution of the ball – but former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was always adamant that there was no better goalkeeper in the Premier League. Lloris was certainly capable of some stunning stops, while he was nearly always outstanding for France, whom he led to victory at the 2018 World Cup, as well as a runners-up finish in Qatar four years later.
“It was a joy and an honour to be his coach,” Didier Deschamps said Lloris announced his retirement from international football. “I would wish for every manager to have a player like him in their squad.”
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Getty Images21Pepe Reina
Pepe Reina is 42 years of age and still playing top-flight football in one of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues. Como’s decision to sign the former Spain international surprised some, but coach Cesc Fabregas pointed out “we’re talking about a goalkeeper of very great international experience and a very competitive mentality” – and there can be no arguments there.
At his peak, Reina was truly world-class, with the former Liverpool No.1 winning three consecutive Golden Glove awards during his first spell in the Premier League. Furthermore, only Cristiano Ronaldo has made more appearances in UEFA club competitions than Reina, while Gigi Buffon regarded him the best goalkeeper of his era with the ball at his feet.
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AFP20Victor Valdes
Victor Valdes never hid the fact that he was not an easy character to work with – but Pep Guardiola had no issues with his fellow Catalan. Why? Because Valdes was fearless, utterly unafraid to constantly play the ball out from the back. Even when he made a mistake, Valdes remained undeterred, much to Guardiola’s delight.
Consequently, while Valdes’ career petered out after leaving Barcelona, he’s still considered a Blaugrana legend, having won six Liga titles, three Champions Leagues and five Zamora Trophies during his 12 seasons with the senior side – which helps explain why Xavi says Valdes is the standard against which all other Barcelona goalkeepers must be judged, and the perfect Pep goalkeeper.
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Getty19Rui Patricio
Jose Mourinho couldn’t understand why Rui Patricio lost his starting spot with Portugal ahead of the 2022 World Cup, given the goalkeeper had quickly been christened ‘San Patrizio’ at Roma because of his miraculous shot-stopping, which had been crucial to the Giallorossi’s 2021-22 Conference League triumph.
However, then-Seleccao coach Fernando Santos quickly countered, pointing out that Patricio had effectively been canonised on his watch, thanks to the Sporting CP icon’s heroics during the country’s shock Euro 2016 victory. Indeed, they even erected a statue of Patricio’s crucial save from France’s Antoine Griezmann in the final, in his hometown of Leiria!
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Getty Images18Gigi Donnarumma
We’re approaching the 10-year anniversary of Gigi Donnarumma’s professional debut – which is just absurd, given the Italian is still only 25. But Donnarumma has long been touted as ‘The new Gigi Buffon’ as, just like his namesake, he took Serie A by storm as a teenager before tasting glory at international level with the Azzurri.
Donnarumma has had his ups and downs since leaving childhood club AC Milan for Paris Saint-Germain, but he remains a phenomenal talent and showed signs during the summer of rediscovering the form that saw him become the first goalkeeper in history to win the Player of the Tournament award at a European Championship with a string of stunning displays in Italy’s 2021 triumph.
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Getty Images Sport17David de Gea
David de Gea’s career looked set to fizzle out after struggling to find a club after his Manchester United contract expired in 2023. Not many supporters were too sad to see him go, as he had been replaced by Andre Onana – a goalkeeper supposedly far more skilled with his feet. However, De Gea, who is still only 33, has since kickstarted his career at Fiorentina and is starting to show why he was United’s best player by some distance for a significant chunk of his Old Trafford career.
Indeed, it should not be forgotten that De Gea holds the record for most clean sheets in the club’s history and also made the Premier League Team of the Season five times during a pretty poor era for United.
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Getty16Yassine Bounou
Like many of the high-profile players now playing their trade in the Saudi Pro League, Yassin Bounou is on the wrong side of 30. The big difference between the Moroccan and many of his fellow stars, though, is that he remains one of the very best players in the world in his position. Indeed, both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were interested in signing the former Sevilla shot-stopper before he joined Al-Hilal in 2023.
It was easy to understand why, given Bounou’s heroics in the 2023 Europa League final against Roma and sensational showing at the 2022 World Cup, where he kept four clean sheets during Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals.
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Getty15Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas won 12 trophies during his time at Real Madrid and was particularly impressive during their triumphant 2017-18 Champions League campaign, which resulted in him being voted the tournament’s Goalkeeper of the Season. However, Navas winning La Liga’s Best Goalkeeper award with Levante in 2014-14 is probably an even greater testament to his shot-stopping skills, while his performances during Costa Rica’s historic run to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup secured him legendary status back home, after being named Man of the Match in three of his five outings.
A goalkeeper blessed with incredible agility, Navas never really received the level of credit he deserved.
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Getty14Fabien Barthez
Fabien Barthez was only 5’11” (1.80 metres) tall, but the Frenchman was a real ‘larger-than-life character’, a strong personality utterly convinced of his own ability, which made him much braver than most when it came to passing the ball out from the fact – or even taking it around opposition attackers. Barthez was named IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper in 2000 after helping France win the European Championship, while he also made the Premier League Team of the Season the following year after a fine campaign with Manchester United.
“To me, he is the greatest goalkeeper France ever had,” ex-Toulouse coach Elie Baup said when Barthez retired from international football after Les Bleus’ loss to Italy in the 2006 World Cup final.
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Getty13Marc-Andre ter Stegen
During Barcelona’s 2022-23 Liga triumph, Thibaut Courtois was asked if he felt Ter Stegen’s “improvement” was key to the Catalans’ good form. “No,” the Real Madrid No.1 replied, “because he’s always been a great goalkeeper!” It was a good point, because Ter Stegen had long been undervalued. Remember, he was a key member of Barca’s 2015 treble winners and many pundits felt that he should have been starting for Germany long before Manuel Neuer finally retired from international football.
“I think he’s an example on the field and in the dressing room,” former coach Xavi said. “He’s a captain with capital letters.”
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Getty12Julio Cesar
Julio Cesar is considered by Sebastien Frey as the greatest goalkeeper in Inter’s history. One could also easily argue that there was nobody better in the world between 2008 and 2010, during which time the Brazilian was twice named the best shot-stopper in Serie A. Cesar also won the UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2009-10 after playing a pivotal role in the Nerazzurri’s treble triumph, with his heroics in the semi-final win over Barcelona the stuff of legend.
Inter’s ‘Dream-catcher’ was obviously involved in Brazil’s shocking 7-1 World Cup semi-final loss to Germany, but he is best remembered in homeland for helping the Selecao win the 2004 Copa America by saving a penalty in their shootout win over Argentina in the final.
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Getty Images11Ederson
Pep Guardiola has pointed out that his Manchester City side has never given up many chances, but that when opponents do get a clear sight of goal, Ederson usually comes to their rescue. That was certainly the case in the 2023 Champions League final, with the Brazilian producing a couple of crucial saves in the closing stages of the win over Inter in Istanbul to secure the club’s first European Cup.
Hardly surprising, then, that Guardiola went out of his way to convince Ederson, who won the 2023 IFFHS Goalkeeper of the Year award, to stay at the Etihad when Saudi Pro League clubs came calling during the summer.
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Getty Images10Emiliano Martinez
Emiliano Martinez is not universally liked. In fact, some supporters and fellow pros actually despise him because of his gamesmanship. But there’s no denying that Martinez is an incredible goalkeeper – and one of the greatest shootout specialists the game has ever seen. Argentina certainly wouldn’t have lifted the World Cup in 2022 without his heroics (and mind games!) against Netherlands and France, while the save he pulled off with his right foot to deny Randal Kolo Muani a last-second winner in the final was truly stunning.
“He is decisive in so many matches,” Aston Villa boss Unai Emery recently said of Martinez, who has now won back-to-back Yashin Trophies.
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(C)Getty Images9Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak’s talent and achievements remain criminally underrated – although not at Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone has always insisted that the Slovenian is the best goalkeeper in the world, while former full-back Juanfran claimed that Oblak is even more talented than former Rojiblancos No.1 Thibaut Courtois. There’s certainly no questioning his class. Oblak, who famously saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024, has already won a remarkable five Zamora Trophies in La Liga, including four in a row between 2015 and 2019.
“Jan decides games,” Simeone says, and he’s likely to continue doing so for quite some time to come – as he’s still only 31.
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Getty8Edin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar was a key player in the great Ajax side of the mid-90s because of his ability to serve as a sweeper-keeper. Even Neuer has admitted that the Dutchman was a source of inspiration. What’s remarkable about Van der Sar, then, is that he managed to maintain his incredibly high standard throughout his 30s and even ended up becoming the oldest Premier League winner ever in 2011, aged 40. His most memorable moment at Manchester United, though, came three years previously when he saved the decisive shootout spot-kick in the Champions League final.
“Edwin is the best keeper we’ve had since Peter Schmeichel,” Sir Alex Ferguson said.
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Getty7Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn still blames himself for Brazil’s opener in the 2002 World Cup final, but it’s worth remembering that Germany would never have made it that far without their inspirational captain, who ended up becoming the first goalkeeper to ever win the tournament’s Golden Ball. At the time, Kahn was a phenomenon, an eccentric and aggressive character with excellent reflexes and incredible powers of concentration. Just the year before, he had saved three penalties in Bayern Munich’s Champions League final shootout win over Valencia.
“Oliver has done extraordinary things for Bayern, the national team and German football in general,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said when the shot-stopper retired in 2008.
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AFP6Alisson
It’s rare that a goalkeeper can have a transformative effect on a team, but Alisson is no ordinary goalkeeper. Of course, Liverpool knew that before they signed him for a record-breaking fee from Roma. Back then, he was already being touted as ‘The Messi of goalkeepers’. But Alisson has still managed to surpass all expectations at Anfield by helping the Reds win their sixth European Cup and end their 30-year English championship drought.
Brazil’s No.1 – ahead of Ederson, tellingly – is outstanding with the ball at his feet – and also pretty impressive in the air, as he proved by winning Liverpool’s Goal of the Season award in 2020-21!
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Getty5Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois has been around so long it’s hard to believe he’s still only 32. After being signed from Genk by Chelsea in 2011, the Belgian established himself as the best goalkeepers in La Liga during a three-year loan spell at Atletico Madrid – before then doing likewise in the Premier League. Although Courtois is also a World Cup Golden Glove winner, no matter what he does next in his career he’ll forever be remembered for his record-breaking heroics for Real Madrid in their 2022 Champions League win over Liverpool in Paris, which played a major role in him winning his second IFFHS Goalkeeper of the Year award.
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Getty4Petr Cech
Regarded by Buffon as the finest all-round goalkeeper of his generation, Petr Cech set records in the Premier League that are unlikely to ever be beaten. In the 2004-05 season, he kept a staggering 24 clean sheets in 35 appearances and conceded just 13 times in total. Cech’s also got more clean sheets (202) than any other keeper in Premier League history, with his closest rival, David James, on 169.
It’s also testament to his enduring quality that Cech, who was immense for Chelsea during their 2012 Champions League triumph, is the only man to win the Golden Glove with different clubs, having also picked up the prize in his latter years at Arsenal.
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Getty3Iker Casillas
A prodigious talent, Iker Casillas was still only a teenager when he won the first of his three Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, in 2000. As well as boasting wonderful reflexes and fantastic footwork, ‘San Iker’ was also a fantastic leader and skippered Spain to glory in both the 2008 and 2010 European Championships, as well as the 2010 World Cup.
As Buffon once said, “I don’t have to use up many words to say how good Iker is – the results are there for all to see. He has won everything there is to win.”
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Getty2Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer pretty much changed the game. There were goalkeepers that came before the German who were good with the ball at their feet, but Neuer took the role of ‘sweeper-keeper’ to a whole other level, so much so in fact that Pep Guardiola reportedly even considered playing him in midfield!
He has also broken one clean sheet record after another while winning every major honour at club level with Bayern Munich, including two trebles, and collected the Golden Glove award at the end of Germany’s 2014 victorious World Cup campaign. And the crazy thing is, at 38, he’s not done yet!
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Getty1Gianluigi Buffon
Juventus paid €53m for Buffon. In 2001! What’s even more remarkable is that the Italian, who remained the most expensive goalkeeper in the world for 17 years, proved a bargain buy. The World Cup winner was named the best shot-stopper in the world by the IFFHS on five separate occasions, while he was also voted Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year 12 times during his time in Turin. When it comes to sustained goalkeeping excellence, there’s just nobody else on this list – and maybe even in footballing history – that compares to Buffon, who pretty much did it all before retiring at the age of 43 in 2023.
“Gigi wrote history,” former team-mate Federico Bernadeschi said. “Gigi is history.”
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