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Goalkeepers are undoubtedly the heart of the team. The role of the goalkeeper is key to the success or failure of the team. Quite often, they are the team's last resort when defenders fall short. Yet, they somehow always go unnoticed or unrecognized. With that in mind, here are the top five goalkeepers in world football at the moment.
Honourable Mentions:
Selecting the five best goalkeepers is a hard task. Over the past couple of years, we've seen the emergence of several fine shot stoppers. These may not make the top 5, but are worthy of an honourable mention, as they missed the cut by the finest of margins.
Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea
The young Belgian shot stopper may not have hit the heights he did for Atletico Madrid over at Stamford Bridge, but he's still one of the best. Regarded as the best Belgian keeper since Jean-Marie Pfaff in the 1970s, Courtois has cemented his place as Chelsea's number 1. Blessed with an incredibly long frame, Courtois is able to stop corner-bound shots few others can, and command his box by claiming high crosses most can't reach.
Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan
A sublime shot-stopper, Donnarumma commands his area brilliantly and has the strength of a full-fledged senior pro. Finding young goalkeepers is tough as it's a position that demands levels of maturity and experience well beyond an 18-year-old. Goalkeepers tend to peak much later on in their careers, however, at 18, he's better than most. Touted as the next Gianluigi Buffon, it's only a matter of time till he's considered the very best.
#5 Samir Handanovic - Inter Milan
Probably the most underrated goalkeeper on our list. The 6ft 4in stopper possesses fantastic reactions, and uses these to great effect. In 2016-17, Handanovic single-handedly frustrated teams and scraped Inter points. At times, in games they lost, Handanovic was the sole reason things didn't get embarrassing.
One such instance was his save against Edin Dzeko in a 2-1 defeat to Roma. The save shocked the world and was named "Save of the Year" by the media.
#4 Jan Oblak - Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid perhaps have one of the most resolute and stubborn defensive lines in world football. However, behind them is an equally capable world-class shot stopper in Jan Oblak. Blessed with brilliant handling, positioning and reflexes, Oblak is certainly one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in the world.
Oblak, from time to time has the tendency to produce jaw dropping saves. One such instance was his triple-save against Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Atletico boast the best defensive record over the last three seasons of any La Liga side, and Oblak's been as crucial to that as any defender.
#3 David De Gea, Manchester United
After a shaky start at Manchester United, David De Gea has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons, and is now rightly ranked as one of, if not the, best in the world. When it comes to the Premier League, he is miles ahead of his rivals.
Blessed with incredible agility and reflexes, which are astonishing at times, De Gea has cemented his place as United's number 1. In addition, the Spaniard has earned his reputation by playing in front of shaky and ever-changing back lines, still showing his quality, and I doubt any other keeper on this list has single-handedly won as many points for their team as he has.
#2 Manuel Neuer - Bayern Munich
Some would argue he deserves to be at the very top. Neuer is a world-class shot stopper, dominant in the air and excellent at communicating with his defenders. In one-on-one situations, he dominates opponents, giving off an aura of invincibility at times.
A great distributor of the ball, Neuer's attacking instincts often come to the fore as he loves to start attacks with his throwing and kicking. Very quick off his line, Neuer redefines the role of keeping, as he loves to play as a sweeper keeper. The German has been the king of keepers for a long time now, and he's not showing any signs of slipping.
#1 Gianluigi Buffon - Juventus
Despite being 39, Buffon is easily one of the best goalkeepers in the world. A role model for many, Buffon possesses everything required to be a top level goalkeeper: height, intelligence, and reactions that defy logic.
His positioning is impeccable and he rarely commits any errors. Although he may have been lucky to play with remarkable defensive lines throughout his career, Buffon hasn't been afraid to tell them off if they're in the wrong.
His importance for Juventus can be summarised with a quote from legendary Italian commentator Fabio Caressa who said, "Buffon is a man who single-handedly wins his team 15 points per season."
