The Best Goalkeepers

Being a goalkeeper is typically a thankless job, with few of the glories of other positions of the soccer fields, and though you get constantly ridiculed for any slip up, people rarely seem to notice when everything goes well. Despite being undervalued amongst fans, goalies remain major talents and huge assets to their teams, and we wanted to pay them some respect.

Don’t forget that goalies have been captains in the World Cup, are the only defense for penalty shots, and also have lengthier careers than most other football players do. They deserve to rise in status, which is why we’ve put together a list of four of the greatest football goalkeepers.

Gianluigi Buffon

Want to know what a great goalkeeper can do? Take a look at Gianluigi Buffon. In the 2006 World Cup, he was an integral component of Italy’s fourth title win, letting just two goals get past him. Even when he wasn’t firing on all cylinders as he was then, he was still one of the world’s greatest, as he has proved over his 1,100+ professional matches. 

He was nominated as one of the world's greatest living players by none other than Pelé, and he had a remarkably long lasting career, starting his youth career in 1991 and retiring in 2018 at the age of 40. He deserves respect not just as a player but also as a leader, and it is hard to imagine that anyone will match him anytime soon.

Lev Yashin

Lev Yashin revolutionized the sport by taking the job of the goalkeeper from a passive one to an active one. He was the leader of the entire defense, shouting out orders to the defenders and also even running out to intercept crosses. The Russian athlete remains the only goalkeeper in history to ever be awarded the Ballon d'Or.

Over his career, there were 150 penalties saved, and he also presided over an incredible 270 clean sheets. FIFA named him the Goalkeeper of the Century, and he became a global icon and even received the nicknames “Black Panther” and “Black Spider,” owing to his dark blue clothing which appeared black, adding to his mystique.

Peter Schmeichel

Danish born football player Peter Schmeichel is one of the most iconic goalkeepers ever, having been captain for Manchester United when they won the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, giving them the Treble. His saves are legendary, to the point where his teammates looked up to him and the opposing forwards lived in fear of him.

The 1990s golden period for Manchester United owes much to his talent and leadership. Even back in Denmark he was one of the team’s greatest assets, with the Euro 1992 win owing much to him. He also tallied up an astonishingly high number of goals for a goalkeeper, with 11 to his name over his career.

Dino Zoff

Italian football icon Dino Zoff remains one of the greatest goalkeepers in history. He captained Italy in the 1982 World Cup, and as the team won he became the oldest World Cup winner ever, being 40 years old at the time. He stands out for his impeccable consistency, which few goalkeepers have been able to match.

As far as iconic Italian goalkeepers go, Gianluigi Buffon has arguably beaten his predecessor, but that doesn’t take away from Zoff’s phenomenal achievements. Zoff couldn’t give up the game as he aged, shifting to management as he retired from the field, and his leadership skills always shone through. In 2000, under his management, Italy made it to the Euro 2000 Final, and Juventus also won a Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup double.