FIFA World Cup 2018: Top 5 goalkeeping howlers

We are just one match away from knowing the next champions of world football. The 2018 edition of football's biggest event, the FIFA World Cup was filled with necessary ingredient - drama, emotion, excitements, triumphs, and heartbreaks, thereby proving why it is the greatest sporting spectacle on earth.

Amongst all the others, there have been a plethora of amateurish mistakes. Goalkeeping errors come as freebies to the opponents while harming the reputation of the perpetrator. Some of the worlds biggest names in goalkeeping have committed school-boy errors and have made a mockery of themselves. Let us have a look at top 5 goalkeeping howlers of the tournament:

#5 Mohammed Al-Owais (Uruguay v Saudi Arabia)

Al-Owais misjudged the flight of the ball

Goalkeeping has been a concern for Saudi Arabia in this tournament. They started off their campaign with a 5-0 thrashing against Russia, and though there was not any goalkeeping error behind any goal, first-choice keeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf was dropped for the second game against Uruguay.

Saudi Arabians were eager to pull off an upset against mighty Uruguay and started off well. However, their plans were ruined by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais' mistake. The 26-year-old misjudged the flight of the dipping ball from the corner, and it came straight down to Luis Suarez's feet, who is not known to miss chances from that close a range without the keeper in goal.

#4 Manuel Neuer (South Korea v Germany)

Neuer lost control of the ball while trying to play as a midfielder

Such is the pressure of this platform that even the very best in the business makes a fool of himself. While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo missed penalties, Manuel Neuer conceded an avoidable goal. In a match against South Korea, whom the defending champions were expected to dominate, Germany was trailing by a goal in the 96th minute.

On the brink of elimination, sweeper-keeper Neuer tried to slot in as a midfielder, something that cannot be considered a mistake, given the situation the game was in. However, he carelessly lost the ball to an opponent, which not only led to an easy second goal for South Korea but also saw Germany finish at the bottom of the table.

#3 David de Gea (Portugal v Spain)

de Gea has made only one save in this World Cup

Spanish shot-stopper David de Gea has had a horrendous FIFA World Cup, which saw him conceding 6 goals amongst the 7 on-target shots he faced, thereby making a solitary save. The highly-rated Manchester United keeper committed the first major goalkeeping error in the tournament, that too, against Portugal.

In the 44th minute of a gut-wrenching tie that was evenly balanced at 1-1, Cristiano Ronaldo offered a shot that was going straight to De Gea. On other days, he would have collected the ball easily, but made a mess of it in the big match and saw the ball going into the net, giving Portugal a one-goal lead. The match finally ended 3-3.

#2 Fernando Muslera (Uruguay v France)

Uruguay's impressive campaign came to an end with a howler from one of their most experienced players

Just like his team, Uruguay's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera had a great start to the tournament as he did not concede a goal in the first three matches. However, his campaign came to a forgettable end, with a mistake that perhaps cost the South Americans a place in the semi-finals.

Uruguay was trailing by a goal against France in the quarters, and the last half-hour of the match appeared to have much in store, when the Galatasaray man failed to gather a straight shot from Antoine Griezmann. Instead of catching, Muslera tried to punch the ball away and failed miserably, heading Uruguay exit passes from Russia.

#1 Willy Caballero (Argentina v Croatia)

Argentina missed Sergio Romero badly as Willy Caballero could not utilize his chance

Going into the tournament, many predicted that this might be the last World Cup of one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game, Lionel Messi, and hence, Argentina was expected to pull off something spectacular. That dream was destroyed by goalkeeping errors as they missed their first choice keeper Sergio Romero badly.

Chelsea's Willy Caballero's mistake led to a goal in Argentina's opening game against Iceland as well, but coach Jorge Sampaoli overlooked it and played Caballero in the match against Croatia. It turned costly in the 53rd minute, as Caballero tried to clear Mercado's back-pass but instead gave Rebic a chance to hit a volley. The winger made no mistake and took the game away.