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Goalkeepers often tend to be the player that get's the most blame whilst receiving the least praise. Despite this, some goalkeepers are just as vital to teams as high scoring strikers, and a great goalkeeper can be the difference between success and failure. While you may not notice their greatness for the full 90 minutes, these are the five goalkeepers who when called upon, often save their team with incredible stops, that you wouldn't expect them to make. For this list, we have looked at shot stopping ability, distribution, consistency and frequency to errors. With these factors considered, here are the best five goalkeepers in world football.
#5 Keylor Navas
While Keylor Navas may make more mistakes than the other goalkeepers on this list, he also makes the highest number of world-class saves. The Costa Rican international may have a small frame for a goalkeeper, but his height has worked to his advantage, as he is one of the most agile and acrobatic shot-stoppers of the modern era. The 31-year-old has played a pivotal role in Madrid's dominance in Europe over the last three years, making crucial saves when his team couldn't afford to concede. Navas is now facing a fight from Thibaut Courtois for the number one shirt, however, the Costa Rican did start Madrid's first Champions League game of the season.
# 4 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Ter Stegen endured a difficult first two years in Spain as he was allocated to cup games, rather than featuring in La Liga. As soon as Claudio Bravo moved from Barcelona to Manchester City in 2016, the German not only established himself as Barcelona's first choice but also as one of the best young goalkeepers on the planet. The 26-year-old is incredibly consistent and he perfectly suits Barcelona's passing style thanks to his excellent distribution. In terms of securing the German starting spot, Ter Stegen is closer than ever before, and he may soon have Manuel Neuer looking nervously over his shoulder.
#3 David de Gea
If David de Gea continues to improve and develop at his current rate, he could soon find himself as the best goalkeeper in the world. The Spaniard famously received an incredible amount of criticism when he first arrived in Manchester as a 20-year-old. Analyst's argued that he was too weak, and many predicted that de Gea would never adapt to the English game. It took him less than two years to prove his doubters wrong. Despite his club's poor performances over the past five seasons, the 27-year-old has made the Premier League team of the year 5 times, and de Gea has also established himself as Spain's first choice. After his long-rumored move to Madrid never came to fruition, de Gea now looks to be Manchester United's most important player for years to come.
#2 Jan Oblak
In 2014 when Thibaut Courtois returned to his parent club Chelsea, Atletico Madrid believed they would never find another goalkeeper that matched the Belgian's ability. Oblak arrived to little fanfare, although his 16 million euro price tag suggested he had a bright future. It took the Slovenian six months to win a place in the starting 11 and he has never looked back. Oblak has won the award for the best goalkeeper in the Spanish division for three consecutive seasons, and he provides the backbone to the best defense in Europe. Incredibly the Atletico star is just 25 years old, and he will likely be locked in a future battle with David de Gea for the title of the worlds best goalkeeper.
#1 Manuel Neuer
We have previously rated this goalkeeper as one of the best players in the world. The 32-year-old has arguably been the best goalkeeper in the world since 2010, and during this time he has won the World Cup, UEFA Champions League and the Bundesliga in six consecutive seasons. Neuer not only possesses incredible shot-stopping skills, but he also acts as a sweeper to both the German and Bayern team. Simply put, the Bayern star has changed the way that goalkeepers play football, and he is the goalkeeper that every manager in world football would want. Still just 32, the German will most likely still have another few years at the top, until either de Gea or Oblak replace him as the worlds best.
