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#3 Ederson Moraes | Manchester City, Brazil
Ederson's influence is absolutely massive, whether he plays for Manchester City or Brazil. He recently usurped Alisson Becker as Brazil's #1 goalkeeper and will look to make that spot his own for the long term. He's a very successful goalkeeper who has been outstanding in many ways.
He reached the UEFA Champions League final with Manchester City and also won the Premier League and the League Cup in the 2020-21 campaign. A lot was said about the goal Brazil conceded in the Copa America final against Argentina, but in my opinion, that wasn't really his fault.
The world of goalkeeping isn't just about making saves - it's about what else you can do to become an invaluable asset for your team. Ederson has got it all in that aspect: his distribution is top-class, he commands the penalty area very well and is also capable of notching up an assist or two as he's shown over the years.
He is also really good with the ball at his feet and is the best distributor over long distances. Sergio Romero, who most recently represented Manchester United, was up there in this regard, but Ederson is also incredible with his distribution over short distances. It is very difficult to measure this quality and I'd argue that Jordan Pickford is another goalkeeper who does this really well. However, the difference is that Ederson has shown he can do it consistently with a lot of confidence, while Pickford tends to blow hot and cold.
12 months ago, he'd have been my #1 goalkeeper, but the two players I have above him proved their worth massively on the international stage, so he's third on my list currently.
#2 Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa, Argentina
Emiliano Martinez was a massive influence for Argentina at the Copa America and is amongst the best goalkeepers in the world based on current form. He performed well in an international tournament on the back of an impressive season for Aston Villa where he kept 15 clean sheets - which I believe is a Premier League record for a goalkeeper in his debut season at a club.
He proved his worth on the grandest stage and made defining contributions for Argentina at the business end of the Copa America campaign. Aston Villa didn't win a major trophy, but it was a successful season for Dean Smith's side, with Martinez playing a starring role for the club. He hasn't been in the limelight and spent multiple loan spells away during his Arsenal days, but he's finally found himself a home at Villa.
Martinez knows that his career has improved dramatically in the past 12 months and is in the right environment to perform consistently. The images will be of Lionel Messi kissing the Copa America trophy, but you could argue that without Martinez's defining contributions, Argentina probably wouldn't have been crowned champions.
#1 Gianluigi Donnarumma | Paris Saint-Germain, Italy
I had to make some hard calls, but in my opinion, Gianluigi Donnarumma is the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment. At the age of 22, he was fundamental to Italy's success at Euro 2020 and proved on the biggest stage that he can be a matchwinner. He conceded just three goals in the competition and none of them were down to him, while his role in the two penalty shootouts can't be overstated.
In the final against England, Donnarumma didn't have much to do till the shootout. However, he dominated the penalty area and gathered crosses easily to avert any danger that came his way. He was a spectator for large parts of the game, but the fact that he came big for his side when it mattered most is a startling example of his quality.
Donnarumma cemented his status as one of the best goalkeepers in the modern game with his performances at Euro 2020 and it'll be interesting to see how he fares at Paris Saint-Germain. As I said about Emiliano Martinez earlier, he played a massive part in AC Milan's success in the 2020-21 season and backed it up with a fantastic showing at a major tournament.
I wouldn't say Donnarumma is head and shoulders above every other goalkeeper in world football, but at the moment, he's definitely #1 on my list.
