RANKED: 20 Best Goalkeepers in the World

For a team to stand any chance of prolonged success, they need a reliable goalkeeper in between the sticks. There’s a ceiling on the heights a team can reach if they aren’t protected at the back by an elite shot-stopper. Adding one to your side can transform it from teetering contender to championship dynasty, as we’ve seen in the past, with the likes of Alisson Becker and Ederson taking Liverpool and Manchester City respectively to levels of success they wouldn’t have reached without them....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤

Due to the advancement in modern-day football, goalkeepers have to be able to perform a variety of roles. Firstly, they must be world-class shot-stopers, which is the bread and butter of being a ‘keeper. This must lead to a trusted partnership with the defence. Meanwhile, they are required to be capable of distributing the ball quickly and effectively. Manuel Neuer changed the future of goalkeeping when he acted as a sweeper-keeper – and now it is very common.

Finding an elite number one can be difficult, though, with there being a very select group of truly exceptional goalies in the world right now. Here are the very best around.

Ranking factors

The factors taken into consideration are as follows:

• Clean sheets – How many clean sheets they’ve registered is a strong indicator of their quality. But it’s important to remember some teams have stronger defences than others.
• Importance to their club – If they are consistently making world-class saves and helping their team every minute, they will be ranked highly, even if they’re not at the biggest clubs.
• International records – Performances for their national teams go alongside the success with their clubs, making them well-rounded.
• Distribution – As part of modern-day football, goalkeepers must be capable of starting attacks with precision passing.
• Shot-stopping – As the bread and butter of being a goalkeeper, they must be capable of making world-class saves regularly.