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Modern football has shown us that goalkeepers have a huge role to play and it's not just limited to shot-stopping. That being said, their primary responsibility is still keeping the ball out of the net.
With more and more teams adopting an expansive style of play, goalkeepers are required to have a dynamic skillset. They have to be good with their feet and their distribution has to be meticulous. But none of that will get them minutes if they are not good at producing top saves.
Having a reliable man between the sticks could prove to be the difference between a team having a good season and a great one. Without further ado, let's take a look at five goalkeepers who are the best shot-stoppers in world football right now.
#5 Thibaut Courtois (Belgium/Real Madrid)
Thibaut Courtois has been a very reliable presence between the sticks for Real Madrid since joining the club in 2018. Standing at 6 ft 7 in, Courtois is a huge goalkeeper and it is difficult to poke the ball past him in one-on-one situations.
He covers a large area of the goal and has made a whopping 27 saves in just 11 La Liga appearances so far this season. He made 90 saves in 38 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid in the 2020-21 season.
The Belgian international shows a lot of confidence every time he comes off his lines to claim crosses. But he is best when rushing out to stop one-on-one opportunities as his decision making and reflexes are top-notch.
#4 Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Paris Saint-Germain)
Keylor Navas has been an extraordinary goalkeeper over the last decade. Unfortunately for him, despite his heroics which contributed to three Champions League titles for Real Madrid, he was replaced by Thibaut Courtois.
Navas has been at PSG since 2019 and has been of great service to the Ligue 1 outfit. He has made 17 saves in just seven Ligue 1 appearances so far. He has saved 73% of the shots he has faced in the league this term.
Navas saved 71 of the 89 shots on target he faced for PSG in Ligue 1 last term. His save percentage stood at a whopping 80.9.
So far, the Costa Rican has been able to stand up to the competition for the number 1 spot with Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was signed in the summer.
Navas has always been renowned for his shot-stopping abilities. His athleticism, speed, agility and reflexes have helped him compensate for his relative lack of height. The 34-year-old also has a reputation for rising to the occasion and has turned in several big-game performances for his sides over the years.
#3 Edouard Mendy (Senegal/Chelsea)
Edouard Mendy has proved to be a great signing for Chelsea. Kepa Arizzabalaga's inconsistency had become a huge cause for concern but Mendy's arrival has sorted their goalkeeping woes.
The 29-year-old played a starring role in Chelsea's Champions League triumph last season. But he has never been more impressive than he has been this term. Mendy has saved 25 of the 27 shots he has faced in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign. He has clocked a save percentage of 96.3 in the league.
Mendy is a physically imposing goalkeeper and has always been great at shot-stopping. In fact, in his final season in Rennes, he recorded a league-high 75.3% save success rate and averaged 2.5 saves per game. In addition to being a great shot-stopper, Mendy is also good with the ball at his feet.
His distribution is excellent and he is key to Chelsea playing out from the back.
#2 Jan Oblak (Slovenia/Atletico Madrid)
Jan Oblak has arguably been the most consistent goalkeeper in the last decade. The Slovenian international has been an absolute beast between the sticks for Atletico Madrid ever since joining the club in 2014.
Oblak is an athletic and physically strong goalkeeper. He is renowned for his quick reflexes which has enabled him to become one of the greatest shot-stoppers of his generation. Oblak's reading of the game, decision-making and handling are also well worthy of praise.
All these attributes make him a rock behind the backline for the Rojiblancos. In the 2020-21 season, Oblak saved 97 of the 120 shots he faced in La Liga. His save success rate was 80%.
He has not been at his very best in the new season having saved just 11 of the 18 shots he has faced at a save success rate of 61.1%. But we all know that form is temporary and class is permanent. It can't very long before the 28-year-old returns to form.
#1 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain)
For all the good football that they played at Euro 2020, Italy ended up relying on their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to bail them out on multiple occasions. It was Donnarumma's heroics that won them the semi-final and the final. The Italian goalkeeper was named the Best Player of the Tournament for his exploits.
At just 22-years-old, the PSG goalkeeper is already one of the very best in the business. Donnarumma is viewed as the long-term successor to the legendary Gianluigi Buffon and he has already shown that he is capable of living up to the expectations.
Pochettino has chosen to rotate the Italian international at PSG and Keylor Navas but it won't be long before the former takes over as he is clearly the future for them. Donnarumma saved 90 of the 125 shots he faced in the Serie A last term and clocked a save success rate of 71.2%.
He has not been at his very best this season but has saved 11 of the 16 shots he has faced in Ligue 1 but has kept only one clean sheet in five appearances. Donnarumma is also an absolute beast when it comes to penalties and is yet to lose a single shootout in his career.
