In modern football, the goalkeeper holds the most important place.
It can be extremely hard to be a good goalkeeper in the modern era if you aren’t above six feet in height.
You can handle the relatively high balls much more easily in the penalty area and cover the corners of the goal as you move through the age groups.
Athletic ability is another thing that seems obvious, but that can be taught and learned. Good coordination of the hand-eye could be something else. Like the ability to communicate with the players in front of you.
However, many goalkeepers have become absolute legends of the game throughout the history of soccer, marking their careers forever in the history books.
Fans have seen some excellent goalkeepers stand between the sticks in the last 100 years.
To know who they are, here are the top 10 greatest goalkeepers of all time:
10. Petr Čech
Petr Čech, born May 20, 1982, is a retired Czech professional goalkeeper known for his exceptional shot-stopping, positional awareness, and leadership in organizing defenses.
He began his senior career in 1999 and famously set a record by keeping a clean sheet for 903 consecutive minutes in the Czech league at age 19.
Čech represented the Czech Republic national team in major tournaments, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 European Championships, as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Čech’s club career highlights include winning four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Champions League (2012), and the UEFA Europa League (2013) with Chelsea FC.
He holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets (202), the fastest to 100 clean sheets in the fewest appearances (180 matches), and the most clean sheets in a single season (24).
After leaving Chelsea in 2015, Čech joined Arsenal, where he won another FA Cup before retiring in 2019. Post-retirement, Čech has transitioned into coaching and sports advisory roles, continuing his legacy within football.
9. Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar, born October 29, 1970, is a retired Dutch goalkeeper widely celebrated as one of the greatest in football history.
Renowned for his exceptional height and physique, he excelled at commanding his area by coming off the line to claim crosses, organising defences with calm composure, and demonstrating world-class shot-stopping ability.
Van der Sar began his professional career in the early 1990s with Ajax, where he won four Eredivisie titles, three KNVB Cups, the 1995 UEFA Champions League, and the Intercontinental Cup. He also earned the Best European Goalkeeper award in 1995.
Later, Van der Sar played for Juventus, winning the Serie A title and Supercoppa Italiana, before joining Manchester United in 2005.
With Manchester United, he secured four Premier League titles, two League Cups, one UEFA Champions League (2008), one FIFA Club World Cup, and three FA Community Shields.
During the 2008–09 Premier League season, he set a world record of 1,311 minutes without conceding a league goal (a key factor in Manchester United’s title victory) and won the Premier League Golden Glove. Van der Sar is also the oldest player to win the Premier League title (aged 40 in 2011).
8. Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks (December 30, 1937 – February 12, 2019) was an English professional goalkeeper widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history.
Over his 20-year career, he made 679 appearances and earned 73 caps for the England national team, playing a key role in England’s 1966 FIFA World Cup victory, which remains England’s only World Cup win.
Banks is famed for his extraordinary save against Pelé in the 1970 World Cup, often cited as the “Save of the Century.”
He began his professional career with Chesterfield in 1953 before cementing his reputation at Leicester City.
Later, he helped Stoke City win their first major trophy, the 1972 League Cup, where he made crucial saves, including a penalty against West Ham in the semi-finals.
Despite losing sight in one eye due to a car accident in 1972, Banks continued playing professionally, joining the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1978, earning NASL Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 1977 for recording the league’s best defensive record. Banks was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six consecutive times between 1966 and 1971 and was awarded the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972.
7. Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has an impressive career marked by significant achievements.
He began his professional career at Genk, where he won the Belgian Pro League. Courtois then moved to Chelsea, and after a loan spell with Atlético Madrid, he established himself as one of the top goalkeepers globally.
At Atlético Madrid, he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Europa League while reaching the UEFA Champions League final.
Returning to Chelsea, he won two Premier League titles, the EFL Cup twice, and earned the Premier League Golden Glove in 2017 for most clean sheets in the league.
Since joining Real Madrid in 2018, Courtois has continued his success by winning three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cups, and multiple domestic super cups.
Individually, he has won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy three times as the best goalkeeper in La Liga and was awarded the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper at the 2018 FIFA World Cup for his outstanding performance helping Belgium secure third place.
6. Manuel Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer, born March 27, 1986, is the captain of both the German national football team and Bayern Munich.
Widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Neuer revolutionized the role by popularizing the “sweeper-keeper” style, characterized by his exceptional ability to leave the penalty area to intercept and clear the ball.
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Neuer conceded just one goal, and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he earned the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper while leading Germany to the World Cup title.
Neuer joined Bayern Munich in 2011 and has since won 23 trophies with the club, including 11 Bundesliga titles and 2 UEFA Champions League titles (2013 and 2020).
He finished third in the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or voting, reflecting his elite status among footballers globally. Neuer holds the Bundesliga record with 226 clean sheets and has played over 501 Bundesliga games, placing him among the league’s all-time most appearances.
5. Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn, known as “Der Titan” for his commanding presence and aggressive goalkeeping style, is one of Germany’s most celebrated footballers.
His leadership was pivotal in Germany’s run to the 2002 FIFA World Cup final, where he won the historic Golden Ball award (only goalkeeper to ever receive this honor).
Kahn began his professional career at Karlsruher SC before moving to Bayern Munich in 1994, where over 14 years he became a club legend, making 429 appearances and winning eight Bundesliga titles, a record later shared with teammates and six DFB-Pokal trophies.
He was instrumental in Bayern’s international success, winning the 1996 UEFA Cup, the 2001 UEFA Champions League by saving three penalties in the final shootout against Valencia and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.
He earned UEFA Best European Goalkeeper four consecutive times and was named German Footballer of the Year twice.
4. Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel, born November 18, 1963, is a legendary Danish goalkeeper renowned for his fierce competitiveness, exceptional reflexes, and commanding leadership.
He captained the Denmark national team for approximately 30 matches, playing a crucial role in their stunning victory at the 1992 UEFA European Championship and representing Denmark in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three other European Championships.
Schmeichel is best known for his successful tenure at Manchester United from 1991 to 1999, where he won 15 major trophies, including five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and famously captained the team to victory in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, completing the historic treble under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Renowned for his vocal presence, shot-stopping, and willingness to join attack during desperate moments, Schmeichel scored 11 career goals, a remarkable feat for a goalkeeper.
In recognition of his outstanding career, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and named among FIFA’s 125 greatest living footballers during the FIFA 100 celebrations in 2004.
3. Iker Casillas
Casillas is one of the few players to have appeared in over 1,000 professional matches, holding the record for the most clean sheets for both the Spain national team and in the UEFA Champions League.
In the 2012 UEFA European Championship, Casillas set a record for the longest consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (509 minutes), leading Spain to their third consecutive major international trophy.
During his illustrious career, he won numerous major titles including five La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA European Championships (2008, 2012), the 2010 FIFA World Cup, multiple FIFA Club World Cups, and Copa del Rey trophies.
Casillas was selected for the UEFA Team of the Year six consecutive times and appeared five times in the FIFPro World XI, a record among goalkeepers.
Known for his leadership and calm under pressure, Casillas retired from professional football in August 2020 after successful stints with Real Madrid and FC Porto, leaving an enduring legacy as one of football’s greatest goalkeepers.
2. Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi “Gigi” Buffon is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history.
Over his illustrious career, he set the Serie A record for the longest streak without conceding a goal, spanning over 12 matches and an unbeaten run of 974 minutes in the 2015-16 season.
Buffon has made more than 1000 professional career appearances, highlighted by his longevity at the highest levels of the sport.
Internationally, Buffon represented Italy at the 1996 Olympics, two FIFA Confederations Cups, four UEFA European Championships, and five FIFA World Cups, including the victorious 2006 World Cup campaign where he won the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper.
He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (only goalkeeper to earn this honor) and was included in Pele’s FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players.
Despite never winning the UEFA Champions League, Sky Sports ranked him as the fourth-best player never to achieve this feat.
1. Lev Yashin
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (October 22, 1929 – March 20, 1990) is widely recognized as the greatest goalkeeper in football history.
Nicknamed the “Black Spider,” “Black Panther,” and “Black Octopus” for his all-black kit and extraordinary reflexes, Yashin revolutionized goalkeeping by dominating the entire penalty area with commanding authority and acrobatic saves.
Yashin spent his entire club career (1950-1971) with Dynamo Moscow, playing over 300 games and leading the team to five Soviet league titles and three domestic cups.
Internationally, he earned 74 caps for the Soviet Union, helping win the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the inaugural 1960 European Nations’ Cup.
He starred in four FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970), gaining global recognition during the 1958 tournament.
Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or (1963) and saved more than 150 penalty kicks, which is more than any other goalkeeper historically.