Top 10 Greatest World Cup Goalkeepers

Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup title aged 40 — the oldest outfield World Cup winner and the oldest captain of a World Cup-winning side in history. He went 1,142 minutes without conceding an international goal between 1972 and 1974, setting a world record that stood for decades.

The "Black Spider" — the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or (1963) — played three World Cups for the Soviet Union. Yashin revolutionised the goalkeeper position, becoming the first keeper to command his penalty area and organise defenders rather than simply react to shots. His legacy defined the modern goalkeeping role.

Gianluigi Buffon won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, conceding only 2 goals in 7 matches — both of which were an own goal and a penalty. He kept five consecutive clean sheets across the knockout rounds. Buffon appeared in four World Cups across 16 years, winning 176 caps for Italy and becoming the defining European goalkeeper of his generation.

Sepp Maier won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany on home soil and was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament. He also kept goal for West Germany's defeat of the Netherlands in the final. His unorthodox style — scrambling, sprawling saves with long arms — made him almost impossible to beat in tight angles.

Peter Shilton holds the record for England's most capped player (125 caps) and played three World Cups. At 1986 he was beaten by Maradona's Hand of God — a goal he protested to his dying day — and also witnessed the Goal of the Century. In 1990 he was the backbone of England's run to the semifinal before losing on penalties to West Germany.

Oliver Kahn won the 2002 World Cup Golden Glove and Golden Ball — the only goalkeeper in history to win the Player of the Tournament award. He conceded just once in normal play across seven matches before a rare error allowed Ronaldo to score in the final, gifting Brazil their fifth title.

Iker Casillas won the 2010 World Cup with Spain in South Africa, conceding only two goals in seven matches and saving Arjen Robben's one-on-one in the final that would have won it for the Netherlands. He kept clean sheets in the round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal. His 167 caps make him Spain's most capped goalkeeper.

Manuel Neuer won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament — revolutionising the sweeper-keeper role to the extent that modern goalkeeping technique worldwide has been permanently reshaped in his image. His 2014 performance against Algeria, where he cleared outside his own box as a third defender, remains the definitive sweeper-keeper display.

Yassine Bounou was Morocco's hero in their historic 2022 run to the semifinal, keeping clean sheets against Portugal and Spain — saving two penalties against Spain on the way. He did not concede a single goal in normal play across the entire knockout stage. His saves against Sarabia and Carlos Soler in the Spain shootout were the defining moments of Morocco's World Cup.

Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup title aged 40 — the oldest outfield World Cup winner and the oldest captain of a World Cup-winning side in history. He went 1,142 minutes without conceding an international goal between 1972 and 1974, setting a world record that stood for decades.

The "Black Spider" — the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or (1963) — played three World Cups for the Soviet Union. Yashin revolutionised the goalkeeper position, becoming the first keeper to command his penalty area and organise defenders rather than simply react to shots. His legacy defined the modern goalkeeping role.

Gianluigi Buffon won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, conceding only 2 goals in 7 matches — both of which were an own goal and a penalty. He kept five consecutive clean sheets across the knockout rounds. Buffon appeared in four World Cups across 16 years, winning 176 caps for Italy and becoming the defining European goalkeeper of his generation.

Sepp Maier won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany on home soil and was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament. He also kept goal for West Germany's defeat of the Netherlands in the final. His unorthodox style — scrambling, sprawling saves with long arms — made him almost impossible to beat in tight angles.

Peter Shilton holds the record for England's most capped player (125 caps) and played three World Cups. At 1986 he was beaten by Maradona's Hand of God — a goal he protested to his dying day — and also witnessed the Goal of the Century. In 1990 he was the backbone of England's run to the semifinal before losing on penalties to West Germany.

Oliver Kahn won the 2002 World Cup Golden Glove and Golden Ball — the only goalkeeper in history to win the Player of the Tournament award. He conceded just once in normal play across seven matches before a rare error allowed Ronaldo to score in the final, gifting Brazil their fifth title.

Iker Casillas won the 2010 World Cup with Spain in South Africa, conceding only two goals in seven matches and saving Arjen Robben's one-on-one in the final that would have won it for the Netherlands. He kept clean sheets in the round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal. His 167 caps make him Spain's most capped goalkeeper.

Manuel Neuer won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament — revolutionising the sweeper-keeper role to the extent that modern goalkeeping technique worldwide has been permanently reshaped in his image. His 2014 performance against Algeria, where he cleared outside his own box as a third defender, remains the definitive sweeper-keeper display.

Yassine Bounou was Morocco's hero in their historic 2022 run to the semifinal, keeping clean sheets against Portugal and Spain — saving two penalties against Spain on the way. He did not concede a single goal in normal play across the entire knockout stage. His saves against Sarabia and Carlos Soler in the Spain shootout were the defining moments of Morocco's World Cup.