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Goalkeepers in the modern-day game are required to do so much more than perhaps a decade or so ago. The game has evolved so much that even the men guarding the posts need to show a bit of pizzazz with their passing and distribution.
When clubs spend fees upward of £60 million to sign goalkeepers, you know the position is no longer low on their priority list.
In the last decade or so, we have seen some incredible goalkeepers who have perhaps redefined the position.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five goalkeepers of all time.
#5 Gordon Banks
The former England custodian was the standout goalkeeper at the 1966 World Cup as he conceded just one goal in five matches to help his side to their first and so far only World Cup trophy.
Banks combined incredible reflexes with speed off his line, which was there to see in the 1970 World Cup.
His Magnum Opus was perhaps the save he pulled off against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup when he denied Pele a goal. Banks, against all odds, dived to save Pele’s downward header, and showed incredible reflexes to get his right hand to the bobbling ball.
Banks did not win much silverware in his career as he played for Leicester City and Stoke City during the 1960s and the 1970s. His CV shows only two League Cups, but a World Cup more than makes up for it.
Banks sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 81, but not before he inspired a generation of goalkeepers in his native England.
#4 Iker Casillas
In his prime, the Spaniard didn’t let much past him, and was perhaps the most complete goalkeeper Spain have ever had.
Casillas was a mainstay at Real Madrid for a decade and a half after making his debut in 1998. The Spaniard initially had a tough start as he wasn’t always the preferred option over the 2001-02 season.
He did, however, play an important role in their Champions League win against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-02 season, and never looked back after that.
Casillas won the Zamora Trophy in 2008 for conceding just 32 goals in 38 LaLiga games, and won pretty much everything in club football with Real Madrid.
The apogee of his career came in 2010, when he led Spain to their first ever World Cup and played a key role in the final.
Casillas’ save in the final to deny Arjen Robben was one of the best saves in the 2010 World Cup. The fact that it came in such a crucial game shows just how much of a big-game player he was.
#3 Manuel Neuer
The German custodian is perhaps the most complete goalkeeper in the world right now, and has pretty much redefined the word sweeper-keeper in the last decade or so.
Neuer’s precocious talent first came to the fore at Schalke, as he played an important role at the back for manager Ralf Rangnick.
The German’s ability to cut out danger by stepping out of his box and comfort zone allowed Schalke to play with their high-pressing approach.
Neuer earned a big-money move to Bayern Munich, and has since won everything in club football. Neuer has been part of two treble-winning Bayern Munich teams, and also helped Germany to their fourth World Cup in 2014.
The German’s incredible reflexes, shot-stopping ability and proactive thinking at the back have already inspired a new generation of goalkeepers.
In 2014, Neuer’s performances were so good that he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
#2 Gianluigi Buffon
Now 43, Gigi Buffon is well past his peak and is back at his old stomping ground Parma. The current generation of football fans will perhaps never fully know how good Buffon was around a decade ago.
The Italian was part of an impenetrable defense for Italy during the 2006 World Cup. If you could get past the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi, you still had to beat Buffon in goal. And that was easier said than done.
In his prime, Buffon’s reflexes astounded the strikers who could barely believe he saved their goal-bound shots. His positioning and footwork are also impeccable, which is why he is going strong at 43.
One of the most prominent Buffon moments that come to mind is his save to deny Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. Buffon got to Zidane’s powerful header, from a delightful Willy Sagnol cross, with his incredible reflexes. His positioning to make the save was equally impressive.
#1 Lev Yashin
Yashin’s reflex and speed will perhaps never be matched. Known as the Black Spider, Yashin is the only goalkeeper on the list to win the Ballon d’Or when he won it ahead of Gianni Rivera and Jimmy Greaves in 1963.
Regarded by many as the best goalkeeper to have played the game, Yashin’s skill and ability in the mid-20th century was perhaps never seen before.
The then Soviet Union goalkeeper's athleticism in goal was good enough to claw out saves that not many could save in that era.
