Top 10 Greatest Goalkeepers in Football History

Peter Schmeichel won five Premier League titles with Manchester United and the 1999 Champions League, saving the decisive penalty against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal. He was voted the world's best goalkeeper by IFFHS in 1992 and 1993. His physical presence — 6ft 4in, 14 stone — combined with supreme reflexes, distribution with both hands, and the ability to organise a defensive unit from goal made him the definitive modern goalkeeper template. He earned 129 caps for Denmark and won Euro 1992. United conceded just 22 league goals in his first full season.

Gianluigi Buffon played top-flight football from 1995 to 2023 — a 28-year career that included winning the 2006 World Cup with Italy, reaching the 2006 Champions League Final, and winning 10 Serie A titles. He set the record for most Serie A clean sheets (657 in 656 games at one point) and went 974 consecutive minutes without conceding at the 2006 World Cup. He was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year a record five times. His longevity, consistency, and composure in high-pressure finals make him arguably the greatest European Cup goalkeeper ever.

Oliver Kahn won the 2001 Champions League with Bayern Munich and was named Man of the Match in the final — one of the few goalkeepers ever to win a Champions League Final MVP award. He won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in 2002 — the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the player of the tournament award — despite Germany finishing as runners-up. He won 8 Bundesliga titles and was voted the world's best goalkeeper by IFFHS three consecutive years (1999–2001). His aggression, shot-stopping, and psychological dominance of penalty areas made him one of sport's most formidable presences.

Iker Casillas won the FIFA World Cup (2010) and back-to-back European Championships (2008, 2012) with Spain — the only goalkeeper in history to win three consecutive major international tournaments. He also won three Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2000, 2002, 2014). His save against Arjen Robben in the 2010 World Cup Final is one of the most important saves in the competition's history. He earned a record 167 caps for Spain. The "Saint Iker" nickname reflected a level of public reverence rarely afforded to goalkeepers.

Manuel Neuer redefined modern goalkeeping by establishing the "sweeper-keeper" as a mainstream tactical requirement rather than an eccentric quirk. He won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, the 2013 Champions League with Bayern Munich, and 8 consecutive Bundesliga titles. He was named IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper six consecutive times (2013–18). His ability to act as an auxiliary sweeper — regularly coming 30–40 yards from goal to intercept through balls — changed how defensive units are now constructed at elite level.

Gordon Banks won the 1966 World Cup with England and is most famous for a single save — his stop from Pelé's header at the 1970 World Cup — which Pelé himself called "the greatest save I have ever seen." Banks dived to his right, scooped the ball up from beneath the turf line, and deflected it over the bar at full stretch. The save is widely regarded as the greatest in football history. He was voted England's best goalkeeper of the 20th century and won the IFFHS world title twice.

Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup title at 40 years old — the oldest World Cup-winning captain in history — and holds the international record for going 1,142 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal for Italy between 1972 and 1974. He won six Serie A titles with Juventus and the European Championship with Italy in 1968. His composure, command of his area, and distribution were the defining qualities of Italian goalkeeping for two decades.

Edwin van der Sar went 1,311 minutes without conceding in the Premier League during the 2008–09 season — a record that still stands. He won four Premier League titles with Manchester United and saved Nicolas Anelka's decisive penalty in the 2008 Champions League Final shootout. He began his career at Ajax (winning the 1995 Champions League) and moved to Juventus, Fulham, and finally United at 34. His late-career peak proved that experience can compensate for declining athleticism in the most complete manner imaginable.

Alisson Becker won the Champions League (2019), Premier League (2020), and Club World Cup (2019) with Liverpool, becoming the first goalkeeper to score a winning Premier League goal in injury time (a header at West Brom in 2021 that kept Liverpool's top-four hopes alive). He won the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award three consecutive years (2019–21). His distribution — both with feet and hands — allied to elite shot-stopping made him the best goalkeeper in the world at his peak and the defining figure of Liverpool's trophy-laden era.

Peter Schmeichel won five Premier League titles with Manchester United and the 1999 Champions League, saving the decisive penalty against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal. He was voted the world's best goalkeeper by IFFHS in 1992 and 1993. His physical presence — 6ft 4in, 14 stone — combined with supreme reflexes, distribution with both hands, and the ability to organise a defensive unit from goal made him the definitive modern goalkeeper template. He earned 129 caps for Denmark and won Euro 1992. United conceded just 22 league goals in his first full season.

Gianluigi Buffon played top-flight football from 1995 to 2023 — a 28-year career that included winning the 2006 World Cup with Italy, reaching the 2006 Champions League Final, and winning 10 Serie A titles. He set the record for most Serie A clean sheets (657 in 656 games at one point) and went 974 consecutive minutes without conceding at the 2006 World Cup. He was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year a record five times. His longevity, consistency, and composure in high-pressure finals make him arguably the greatest European Cup goalkeeper ever.

Oliver Kahn won the 2001 Champions League with Bayern Munich and was named Man of the Match in the final — one of the few goalkeepers ever to win a Champions League Final MVP award. He won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in 2002 — the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the player of the tournament award — despite Germany finishing as runners-up. He won 8 Bundesliga titles and was voted the world's best goalkeeper by IFFHS three consecutive years (1999–2001). His aggression, shot-stopping, and psychological dominance of penalty areas made him one of sport's most formidable presences.

Iker Casillas won the FIFA World Cup (2010) and back-to-back European Championships (2008, 2012) with Spain — the only goalkeeper in history to win three consecutive major international tournaments. He also won three Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2000, 2002, 2014). His save against Arjen Robben in the 2010 World Cup Final is one of the most important saves in the competition's history. He earned a record 167 caps for Spain. The "Saint Iker" nickname reflected a level of public reverence rarely afforded to goalkeepers.

Manuel Neuer redefined modern goalkeeping by establishing the "sweeper-keeper" as a mainstream tactical requirement rather than an eccentric quirk. He won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, the 2013 Champions League with Bayern Munich, and 8 consecutive Bundesliga titles. He was named IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper six consecutive times (2013–18). His ability to act as an auxiliary sweeper — regularly coming 30–40 yards from goal to intercept through balls — changed how defensive units are now constructed at elite level.

Gordon Banks won the 1966 World Cup with England and is most famous for a single save — his stop from Pelé's header at the 1970 World Cup — which Pelé himself called "the greatest save I have ever seen." Banks dived to his right, scooped the ball up from beneath the turf line, and deflected it over the bar at full stretch. The save is widely regarded as the greatest in football history. He was voted England's best goalkeeper of the 20th century and won the IFFHS world title twice.

Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup title at 40 years old — the oldest World Cup-winning captain in history — and holds the international record for going 1,142 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal for Italy between 1972 and 1974. He won six Serie A titles with Juventus and the European Championship with Italy in 1968. His composure, command of his area, and distribution were the defining qualities of Italian goalkeeping for two decades.

Edwin van der Sar went 1,311 minutes without conceding in the Premier League during the 2008–09 season — a record that still stands. He won four Premier League titles with Manchester United and saved Nicolas Anelka's decisive penalty in the 2008 Champions League Final shootout. He began his career at Ajax (winning the 1995 Champions League) and moved to Juventus, Fulham, and finally United at 34. His late-career peak proved that experience can compensate for declining athleticism in the most complete manner imaginable.

Alisson Becker won the Champions League (2019), Premier League (2020), and Club World Cup (2019) with Liverpool, becoming the first goalkeeper to score a winning Premier League goal in injury time (a header at West Brom in 2021 that kept Liverpool's top-four hopes alive). He won the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award three consecutive years (2019–21). His distribution — both with feet and hands — allied to elite shot-stopping made him the best goalkeeper in the world at his peak and the defining figure of Liverpool's trophy-laden era.