FIFA World Cup 2018: Top 7 contenders for the Golden Glove

The FIFA World Cup 2018 is less than ten days away and all the teams will land in Russia with their eyes set on the big prize. All the players will have dreams of lifting that famous golden trophy, but individually too, there are some awards available which they will want to grab hold of.

The players will all want to get their hands on the Golden Ball - which is presented to the 'Player of the Tournament' and the Golden Boot, presented to the 'leading goal scorer'. Top players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard will all be in contention to swoop up these awards.

One award that often tends to go under the radar, however, is the Golden Glove. The goalkeeping position is probably the most difficult in the game as the levels of concentration required is extremely high.

The goalkeeper should always remain on his toes and will have to come up with brilliant saves to keep his team alive in the game. Despite making those saves, their contributions sometimes tend to get overlooked as the goal scorers and the providers are usually the ones who are remembered and celebrated.

And when they make mistakes, they are scrutinized like no other player on the pitch, and we've just seen that with the likes of Sven Ulreich and Loris Karius.

This is why these guardians of the goal deserve the recognition that they'll get in the tournament with the 'Golden Glove'. This award will be presented to the keeper adjudged to have been the best in the tournament.

Though a few top keepers like Gianluigi Buffon and Jan Oblak will not be there as their countries failed to make the cut; most of the top keepers in the game will all be there in Russia, hoping to make their country proud.

In this article, we'll take a look at the top 7 contenders for the Golden Glove Award -

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#7 Rui Patricio (Portugal)

Rui Patricio will have to repeat his heroics from Euro 2016 for Portugal's good

Rui Patricio will be Portugal's guardian in goal for the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. The Sporting Lisbon keeper was the man in goal during Portugal's Euro 2016 title triumph and he was even named in the 'Team of the tournament'.

Portugal have been slotted into a group featuring tournament favourites Spain and the 30-year old will have to be alert to keep the Spaniards at bay. If the European Cup winners are to replicate their continental success in this World Cup, the 30-year old shot-stopper will have to be one of Portugal's inspirational players.

Having made 68 appearances for the Portugal side, Patricio is not short of experience and a lot will depend on his performance between the sticks.

#6 Fernando Muslera (Uruguay)

Fernando Muslera should wipe out the errors that he tends to commit in big moments

Uruguay is historically a team that has relied on a strong and resolute defence and talisman strikers. It will be no different with Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani providing the firepower up-front. The likes of Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez will provide the solidity at the back. However, for the team to be truly successful, they'll need their keeper in top form.

Muslera has been an ever-present in goal for La Celeste since the World Cup in 2010 and has made 96 appearances over the past decade. The Galatasaray man has made his fair share of mistakes but he is usually a reliable man in goal.

The resolute defence will make it difficult for oppositions to bombard the Uruguayan goal and hence, Muslera will stand a chance of claiming this prize if Uruguay make it to the final stages of the tournament.

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#5 Hugo Lloris (France)

Hugo Lloris should put his self-doubts behind him to lead this extraordinarily talented French side

The 2017/18 season saw Hugo Lloris come under more scrutiny than ever before after a series of high-profile mistakes. Despite the jolts, the Spurs skipper regained his composure and enjoyed an assured end to the season, maintaining his status as the club and country's captain.

Hugo Lloris, over the years, has established himself as one of the most assured goalkeepers in the game, despite not grabbing the headlines like a few others on this list.

Lloris will head to Russia with high hopes and will lead an array of young and explosive talents that are certainly capable of going all the way. France's attacking talents should keep their opposition defence on their toes, but their defence lacks the solidity of the other contenders who are considered to be favourites.

As with four of the past five Golden Glove winners, if your country wins the tournament, your goalkeeper stands a good chance of winning the individual award too. France are one of the top bets to lift the trophy, and should they do so, the French skipper - Lloris could almost definitely walk away with the Golden Glove.

#4 Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)

Thibaut Courtois will want to impress to bring his name back amongst the bracket of 'top goalkeepers'

With an abundance of some of the best attacking players at the moment and an experienced back-line to boot, Belgium have all the ingredients to become the world champions in Russia.

Belgium also have a solid keeper in Thibaut Courtois to give them assurance in goal. However, performances at recent major tournaments in 2014 and 2016 showed that despite having the potential, the Belgians remain a work in progress.

The major problem is that the Belgian stars are outstanding individuals for their clubs, but don't quite gel as well for their country.

If the Belgians do gel and do realize their potential, then they will undeniably be a force to be reckoned with in Russia. If that is the case, then Courtois will have as good of a chance as anyone to win the award. The giant Belgian is an imposing presence in between the sticks, and his shot-stopping ability is good as most on the continent.

A few years ago, he was spoken in the same breath as that of David de Gea, but the Chelsea keeper is coming off a shaky season, and Courtois will have to be back at his best if the Red Devils are to stand a chance of lifting the cup.

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#3 Manuel Neuer (Germany)

Manuel Neuer will have to put his injury woes behind him

The man who won the award in the previous edition remains one of the strong favourites to win it this time around as well. The only reason he doesn't find himself on top of this list is due to his own injury issues.

German superstar, Manuel Neuer, has had a torrid year with injuries that has seen him sidelined since September. He just returned last week to make his first appearance in 8 months. The Bayern Munich might retain the rustiness as he heads into the World Cup and it could arguably be a bit of risky business for a tournament of this magnitude.

The commanding stopper is an intimidating presence in between the sticks. His confidence, often bordering on arrogance, is what makes him an irresistible prospect for the Germans, despite his lack of game-time.

The German has revolutionized the position with his 'sweeper keeper' talent, grabbing the attention of the world and making him an inspirational keeper. His self-assurance conveys an almost unbeatable resilience and that has what has made him one of the best goalkeepers of his time.

Germany are hot favourites to retain the World Cup crown in Russia and if they do so, Neuer might well end up retaining his own crown too.

#2 Alisson (Brazil)

Alisson will have to show he's worth the fee his club AS Roma are demanding for him

The rise of Alisson Becker has been sharper than any other goalkeeper in the world. A year ago, he was not even the first choice keeper at his club - AS Roma. Now, Alisson looks all set to, perhaps, become the most expensive goalkeeper on the planet.

The Brazil keeper looks all set to be on his way to one of the top clubs in European football and a good showing in Russia might drive his transfer fee over the roof.

Scintillating performances have assured him a spot as the first-choice keeper in the squad. This is despite his second-in-command Ederson commanding the highest transfer fee ever for a goalkeeper just the previous year.

Ederson himself had a spectacular campaign in Manchester City's record-breaking, title-winning campaign. Despite this, Alisson's shot-stopping abilities have marked him out as the keeper to watch out for in Russia.

Brazil will begin the tournament as one of the roaring favourites and if Brazil do indeed go all the way, it will have a lot to do with Allison's displays between the sticks.

#1 David de Gea (Spain)

What better stage for David de Gea to showcase himself as the best in the world?

We are just running out of superlatives to describe the performances of this man for his club Manchester United. David de Gea has, time and again, delivered when it has mattered the most and his stunning saves are what keep United's flag flying high.

The 27-year old holds a stunning record of winning Manchester United’s Player of the Season award in four of the last five years and this demonstrates how important the shot-stopper is for the Red Devils.

One trophy that continued to elude him was the Premier League Golden Glove award, and sensational performances saw him finally grab hold of that award. De Gea will now have his sight firmly set on the equivalent award in the World Cup in Russia.

The Spanish side possesses one of the strongest backlines in the tournament and with the presence of David de Gea at the back, this Spanish defence might be too difficult to breach for oppositions in Russia.

Expect all eyes to be on the Spanish shot-stopper as Spain prepare for a promising World Cup run.