The best goalkeepers of all time changed matches in ways that statistics do not always capture. Lev Yashin transformed goalkeeping through authority, movement, and athleticism before becoming the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or. Gianluigi Buffon combined elite shot-stopping with almost unmatched longevity, while Manuel Neuer changed how modern teams use a goalkeeper outside the penalty area.
For this FootballerRank ranking, we compare goalkeepers across different eras using role-specific criteria. We considered peak shot-stopping, positioning, one-on-ones, command of the penalty area, major-tournament performance, consistency, longevity, distribution, penalty ability, trophies, individual recognition, and influence on how the position developed. Different eras required different skills, so modern passing statistics are not used to unfairly judge older goalkeepers. Based on those criteria, Lev Yashin ranks as our greatest goalkeeper of all time.
This ranking evaluates complete careers and historical legacy. For form-based analysis of active players, see our ranking of the Best Goalkeepers in the World Right Now.
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Lev Yashin ranks as our best goalkeeper of all time.
- Yashin remains the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or.
- Gianluigi Buffon takes second after an elite career spanning 28 years and a World Cup-winning 2006 campaign.
- Manuel Neuer ranks third for combining elite shot-stopping with revolutionary sweeper-keeper play.
- Iker Casillas and Dino Zoff complete our top five.
- Peter Schmeichel, Gordon Banks, Oliver Kahn, Petr Čech, and Sepp Maier complete the Top 10.
- Goalkeepers are judged on far more than clean sheets because defensive systems and eras differ greatly.
Top 10 Best Goalkeepers of All Time
| Rank | Goalkeeper | Country | Goalkeeping Style | FootballerRank Rating |
| 1 | Lev Yashin | Soviet Union | Commanding revolutionary goalkeeper | 100/100 |
| 2 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | Complete traditional-modern goalkeeper | 99/100 |
| 3 | Manuel Neuer | Germany | Sweeper-keeper | 98/100 |
| 4 | Iker Casillas | Spain | Elite reflex goalkeeper | 96/100 |
| 5 | Dino Zoff | Italy | Calm positional goalkeeper | 95/100 |
| 6 | Peter Schmeichel | Denmark | Powerful commanding goalkeeper | 93/100 |
| 7 | Gordon Banks | England | Reflex and positioning specialist | 92/100 |
| 8 | Oliver Kahn | Germany | Aggressive shot-stopper and leader | 91/100 |
| 9 | Petr Čech | Czech Republic | Complete high-consistency goalkeeper | 90/100 |
| 10 | Sepp Maier | West Germany | Agile traditional goalkeeper | 89/100 |
FootballerRank ratings are editorial scores. They are not official FIFA, UEFA, club, or Ballon d’Or ratings.
What Makes a Great Goalkeeper?
Goalkeeping is different from every other position.
An outfield player can make several mistakes and still influence a match positively.
One major goalkeeper mistake can decide the result.
That makes consistency especially important.
Elite goalkeepers need several skills.
Shot-stopping
The most obvious responsibility is stopping shots.
That includes:
- Reflex saves
- Low saves
- Long-range shots
- Close-range reactions
- Deflections
- One-on-one situations
But raw save totals can be misleading.
A goalkeeper behind a weaker defence may face far more shots.
Positioning
Great goalkeepers reduce the difficulty of saves through positioning.
They understand:
- Shooting angles
- Attacker body shape
- Cross trajectories
- Passing lanes
- Where the next shot is likely to come from
A well-positioned goalkeeper may make a difficult save look simple.
Command of the Penalty Area
Goalkeepers must decide when to leave the goal.
They may need to:
- Catch crosses
- Punch through traffic
- Challenge forwards
- Control set pieces
- Communicate with defenders
Peter Schmeichel was especially powerful in this area.
One-on-One Goalkeeping
When an attacker breaks through, the goalkeeper must quickly decide:
- Whether to rush out
- When to stop
- How large to make the body
- Which shooting angle to remove
Casillas and Neuer became particularly famous for these situations.
Distribution
Modern football has changed this category enormously.
Today’s elite goalkeepers may be expected to:
- Pass short under pressure
- Play through a press
- Hit accurate long passes
- Sweep behind a high defensive line
- Begin attacks
Neuer’s influence is particularly important here.
Older goalkeepers are not punished for playing before these tactical demands became common.
How We Ranked the Greatest Goalkeepers
We used six main factors:
| Ranking Factor | Weight | What We Considered |
| Peak goalkeeping level | 25% | Shot-stopping, positioning, one-on-ones and complete peak ability |
| Major-match impact | 20% | World Cups, EUROs, Champions League and major finals |
| Longevity and consistency | 20% | Length of elite goalkeeper performance |
| Command and complete technique | 15% | Crosses, communication, positioning and penalty-area control |
| Distribution and tactical influence | 10% | Buildup, sweeping and influence on goalkeeper evolution |
| Trophies and individual recognition | 10% | Major honours and goalkeeper awards |
Why Clean Sheets Do Not Decide the Ranking
Clean sheets are useful.
They are not individual goalkeeper statistics in the purest sense.
A goalkeeper playing behind an elite defence may face only one difficult shot.
Another goalkeeper may make eight saves and still concede twice.
Which goalkeeper performed better?
The answer cannot be found through clean sheets alone.
Team tactics also matter.
Some teams:
- Defend deep
- Allow crosses
- Protect central areas
- Press high
- Leave space behind the defence
Each system changes the goalkeeper’s job.
FootballerRank therefore treats clean sheets as supporting evidence rather than the final answer.
Why Era Adjustment Matters More for Goalkeepers
Goalkeeping has changed dramatically.
Older goalkeepers could pick up deliberate back-passes from teammates.
Modern goalkeepers cannot.
Earlier pitches were often:
- Uneven
- Muddy
- Slower
- Harder to predict
Glove technology was also far less advanced.
At the same time, modern goalkeepers face greater demands with the ball.
They may need midfielder-level composure under pressure.
It would therefore be unfair to compare only passing completion or clean-sheet numbers.
We judge how well each goalkeeper performed the role required in his own era.
1. Lev Yashin
Country: Soviet Union
Main club: Dynamo Moscow
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 100/100
Lev Yashin ranks as our best goalkeeper of all time.
One achievement immediately separates him from every other goalkeeper.
Yashin won the 1963 Ballon d’Or.
No other goalkeeper has won the award.
That achievement becomes even more impressive when we consider the competition.
Goalkeepers naturally receive less attention than goalscorers and creative players.
Yashin still convinced voters that he was football’s best individual player.
His game was revolutionary.
Goalkeepers traditionally stayed close to their goal.
Yashin was much more active.
He would:
- Leave his line
- Attack crosses
- Organise defenders
- Start counterattacks
- Punch the ball decisively
- Challenge forwards aggressively
He was nicknamed the Black Spider because of his dark kit, agility, and apparent ability to reach shots from every direction.
His shot-stopping was exceptional.
But his influence came from more than reflexes.
Yashin behaved like the leader of the entire defence.
He communicated constantly.
He helped organise the players in front of him.
His international career brought major success.
The Soviet Union won Olympic gold in 1956.
Then came the first European Championship in 1960.
Yashin produced outstanding performances as the Soviet Union became the inaugural champion.
UEFA included him in the Team of the Tournament and described him as one of the greatest goalkeepers the game has seen.
His club career was spent entirely with Dynamo Moscow.
Yashin therefore never had the opportunity to build a European Cup résumé like Neuer, Casillas, or Schmeichel.
Era context matters.
The Champions League structure familiar to modern football did not exist in the same way.
What matters most is how far ahead of his position Yashin appeared.
He changed expectations.
Goalkeepers could become commanding defensive leaders rather than simply players waiting on the goal line.
Why he ranks No. 1: Yashin combined revolutionary positioning, elite reflexes, command, international success, and unmatched individual recognition as the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or.
2. Gianluigi Buffon
Country: Italy
Main clubs: Parma, Juventus
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 99/100
Gianluigi Buffon provides the strongest challenge to Yashin.
His greatest argument is longevity.
Buffon’s professional career lasted 28 years.
He made his Serie A debut as a teenager.
More than two decades later, he was still performing at elite European level.
Buffon’s style was less revolutionary than Neuer’s.
His greatness came from having almost every traditional goalkeeping skill at an exceptional level.
He had:
- Positioning
- Reflexes
- One-on-one ability
- Command
- Handling
- Concentration
- Leadership
- Consistency
Buffon rarely depended on spectacular movement when a smaller adjustment would work.
His positioning allowed him to make difficult saves look controlled.
The defining international tournament came in 2006.
Italy won the World Cup.
Buffon received the tournament’s award for best goalkeeper.
Italy’s defence was outstanding.
Buffon was the final barrier behind it.
His club career provides an enormous specialist sample.
He made 685 appearances for Juventus, the second-most in club history.
UEFA also records Buffon with 176 international appearances, making him Italy’s most-capped player and one of the most-capped footballers in European history.
His elite level lasted remarkably long.
In 2003, Buffon became the first goalkeeper to win UEFA’s top club player award.
Fourteen years later, at age 39, he was named the Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season after helping Juventus reach another final.
That gap shows extraordinary consistency.
There is one obvious missing trophy.
Buffon never won the Champions League.
He reached the final multiple times.
That does not erase more than two decades of elite goalkeeping.
Why he ranks No. 2: Buffon combined world-class shot-stopping, leadership, extraordinary consistency, a World Cup, 176 Italy caps, and one of the longest elite careers ever seen at any position.
3. Manuel Neuer
Country: Germany
Main clubs: Schalke 04, Bayern Munich
Role: Sweeper-Keeper
FootballerRank Rating: 98/100
Manuel Neuer changed modern goalkeeping.
He did not invent the idea of a goalkeeper leaving his penalty area.
Yashin and others had done that decades earlier.
Neuer took the concept into modern pressing football and pushed it to an extreme level.
He became the sweeper-keeper benchmark.
Neuer could stand far from his goal because he had:
- Speed
- Reading of through balls
- Confidence
- Passing ability
- One-on-one technique
- Strong decision-making
This allowed Bayern Munich and Germany to defend higher up the pitch.
If a forward escaped the centre-backs, Neuer could leave his penalty area and intercept the ball.
That effectively gave his team another defender.
The clearest example came during the 2014 World Cup.
Germany faced Algeria in the Round of 16.
Algeria repeatedly attempted passes behind Germany’s high defensive line.
Neuer repeatedly raced out to clear them.
FIFA later highlighted the match as one of the defining sweeper-keeper performances in World Cup history.
Germany eventually won the tournament.
Neuer received the Golden Glove as the World Cup’s best goalkeeper.
His club career adds another huge body of work.
With Bayern, Neuer won multiple Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues.
He captained Bayern during the 2019/20 treble.
UEFA named him Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season.
His performance in the final stages showed that Neuer’s importance was not limited to distribution.
His shot-stopping remained elite.
Neuer ranks below Buffon because Buffon’s world-class longevity was greater.
On influence over modern goalkeeper tactics, Neuer has one of the strongest cases ever.
Why he ranks No. 3: Neuer combined elite shot-stopping and distribution with a World Cup Golden Glove, two Champions Leagues, and revolutionary sweeper-keeper influence.
4. Iker Casillas
Country: Spain
Main clubs: Real Madrid, Porto
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 96/100
Iker Casillas built his reputation through extraordinary reflexes.
He was especially dangerous for attackers in close-range situations.
Casillas could make saves after a shot had already looked certain to become a goal.
His strengths included:
- Reflexes
- One-on-ones
- Explosive diving
- Shot-stopping
- Leadership
- Big-match concentration
His Real Madrid career began very young.
Casillas became a Champions League goalkeeper before turning 20.
One of his defining early performances came in the 2002 Champions League final.
Casillas entered as a substitute after César Sánchez was injured.
Real Madrid were leading Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.
Leverkusen created several late chances.
Casillas made important saves.
Madrid survived and won the trophy.
That major-match ability continued throughout his career.
His complete Real Madrid record reached 725 official appearances and 19 trophies.
His international career produced an even stronger argument.
Spain won three consecutive major tournaments:
- EURO 2008
- 2010 World Cup
- EURO 2012
Casillas was captain.
At the 2010 World Cup, he received the Golden Glove.
His one-on-one save against Arjen Robben in the final became one of the tournament’s defining moments.
Spain eventually defeated the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time.
Casillas lifted the trophy.
Spain’s defensive record across those tournaments was extraordinary.
Casillas was the final barrier.
Why he ranks No. 4: Casillas combined elite reflexes and one-on-one saves with three Champions Leagues, two EURO titles, a World Cup, Golden Glove, and trophy-winning captaincy.
5. Dino Zoff
Country: Italy
Main clubs: Napoli, Juventus
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 95/100
Dino Zoff represented calmness.
He did not need Yashin’s dramatic movement or Neuer’s aggressive sweeping.
His game was built around:
- Positioning
- Concentration
- Handling
- Decision-making
- Leadership
- Consistency
Zoff’s longevity is extraordinary.
His greatest achievement arrived at 40 years old.
Italy entered the 1982 World Cup without being considered the clear favourite.
The tournament began slowly.
Then Italy improved.
They defeated:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Poland
- West Germany
Zoff was captain.
Italy won the World Cup.
At 40, he became the oldest player to captain a World Cup-winning team.
That achievement alone gives him one of the strongest longevity arguments in football history.
His international success had begun much earlier.
Zoff helped Italy win EURO 1968.
That means 14 years separated his European Championship title and World Cup victory.
His Juventus career produced major domestic success.
UEFA records six Serie A titles during his time in Turin.
He also won the UEFA Cup.
Zoff rarely produced the theatrical moments associated with some other legendary keepers.
His value came from reducing chaos.
He positioned himself correctly.
He remained calm.
He made the correct decision repeatedly for years.
Why he ranks No. 5: Zoff combined exceptional positioning and calmness with elite longevity, a European Championship, and World Cup-winning captaincy at age 40.
6. Peter Schmeichel
Country: Denmark
Main club: Manchester United
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 93/100
Peter Schmeichel was physically imposing.
He made the goal look smaller.
At 1.91 metres tall with exceptional strength and explosive movement, Schmeichel could dominate the penalty area.
His strengths included:
- One-on-ones
- Reflex saves
- Crosses
- Command
- Long throws
- Leadership
- Penalty saves
Schmeichel developed a distinctive technique when facing attackers at close range.
He would spread his arms and legs to make himself as large as possible.
That approach became widely copied.
His international peak came at EURO 1992.
Denmark entered the tournament late after Yugoslavia were excluded.
They eventually reached the semi-final against defending champions Netherlands.
The match went to penalties.
Schmeichel saved Marco van Basten’s penalty.
Denmark advanced.
In the final against Germany, Schmeichel produced several important saves.
Denmark won 2-0 and became European champions.
UEFA named him goalkeeper in its Team of the Tournament.
His Manchester United career added enormous club success.
He won:
- Five Premier League titles
- Three FA Cups
- 1999 Champions League
The final season produced the treble.
Schmeichel captained Manchester United during part of the Champions League final after Roy Keane’s suspension.
United scored twice in stoppage time to beat Bayern Munich.
His distribution also influenced matches.
Schmeichel could launch counterattacks with powerful throws.
Why he ranks No. 6: Schmeichel combined imposing penalty-area command, elite reflexes, EURO 1992 heroics, five Premier League titles, and Manchester United’s historic 1999 treble.
7. Gordon Banks
Country: England
Main clubs: Leicester City, Stoke City
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 92/100
Gordon Banks remains one of England’s greatest footballers at any position.
His reputation rests on much more than one famous save.
But that save is impossible to ignore.
Banks’ greatest strengths included:
- Reflexes
- Positioning
- Agility
- Handling
- Concentration
- Footwork
His international peak began at the 1966 World Cup.
England hosted the tournament.
Banks was the starting goalkeeper.
England reached the final and defeated West Germany 4-2 after extra time.
Banks became a world champion.
Four years later came his most famous moment.
England faced Brazil at the 1970 World Cup.
Jairzinho crossed from the right.
Pelé headed the ball down toward the bottom corner.
Pelé later said he thought the ball was going in.
Banks somehow reached it.
He pushed the bouncing header over the crossbar.
The moment became known simply as the Save of the Century.
FIFA continues to list it among the World Cup’s most iconic goalkeeper moments.
Banks was not a goalkeeper built mainly around physical size.
His movement, anticipation, and agility allowed him to command the goal.
A car accident in 1972 damaged his right eye and effectively ended his career at the highest level.
That shortened elite longevity prevents him from ranking higher.
His peak remains unquestioned.
Why he ranks No. 7: Banks combined elite positioning and agility with a World Cup title and one of the greatest saves ever made in football history.
8. Oliver Kahn
Country: Germany
Main club: Bayern Munich
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 91/100
Oliver Kahn brought intensity to goalkeeping.
Few goalkeepers looked more intimidating.
His nickname, Der Titan, reflected his personality.
Kahn’s strengths included:
- Reflexes
- One-on-ones
- Leadership
- Aggression
- Concentration
- Penalty saving
- Mentality
His club career with Bayern Munich produced huge success.
One of his greatest nights came in the 2001 Champions League final.
Bayern faced Valencia.
The match went to penalties.
Kahn saved three penalties in the shootout.
Bayern won the European Cup.
UEFA’s historical goalkeeper awards also show how consistently Kahn was rated at the time.
He won UEFA’s Club Goalkeeper of the Year award four consecutive times from 1999 through 2002.
Then came the 2002 World Cup.
Germany entered the tournament with a squad that was not widely considered one of its strongest ever.
Kahn carried enormous responsibility.
He produced outstanding performances as Germany reached the final.
FIFA awarded him the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.
That is extraordinarily rare for a goalkeeper.
Germany eventually lost the final to Brazil.
A mistake by Kahn contributed to Ronaldo’s opening goal.
That one moment should not erase the performances that got Germany there.
Why he ranks No. 8: Kahn combined elite reflexes, penalty saves, leadership, Champions League success, and a unique 2002 World Cup Golden Ball.
9. Petr Čech
Country: Czech Republic
Main clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 90/100
Petr Čech produced one of the greatest Premier League goalkeeper careers.
His first Chelsea season immediately showed his level.
Chelsea won the 2004/05 Premier League.
Čech kept 24 clean sheets.
That remains the Premier League record for a goalkeeper in a single season.
His complete Premier League career eventually reached 202 clean sheets.
That is also the competition record.
Čech’s strengths included:
- Positioning
- Handling
- Shot-stopping
- One-on-ones
- Crosses
- Concentration
- Penalty saving
His career changed in 2006 when he suffered a serious skull fracture.
Čech later returned wearing the protective headguard that became part of his image.
His ability to remain elite after such an injury adds to his career story.
The defining European night came in the 2012 Champions League final.
Chelsea faced Bayern Munich in Munich.
Čech saved an extra-time penalty from Arjen Robben.
The match later went to a shootout.
Čech saved penalties again as Chelsea won its first Champions League title.
UEFA’s historical awards further support his standing.
Čech won its Club Goalkeeper of the Year award three times.
His international trophy résumé is weaker than Casillas, Neuer, or Schmeichel.
The Czech Republic never won a major tournament during his career.
His club consistency and Premier League records put him firmly inside our Top 10.
Why he ranks No. 9: Čech combined elite consistency and positioning with Premier League records, three UEFA goalkeeper awards, and decisive saves in Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League triumph.
10. Sepp Maier
Country: West Germany
Main club: Bayern Munich
Role: Goalkeeper
FootballerRank Rating: 89/100
Sepp Maier completes our Top 10.
Nicknamed the Cat from Anzing, Maier became one of the defining goalkeepers of Bayern Munich’s first European dynasty.
His style was built around:
- Agility
- Reactions
- Handling
- Positioning
- Consistency
- Personality
His Bayern career produced extraordinary durability.
Maier made 473 Bundesliga appearances.
Even more impressive was his sequence of 422 consecutive league appearances.
That remains a remarkable record.
He was almost permanently available.
His club peak came during Bayern’s rise to European dominance.
Bayern won three consecutive European Cups:
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976
Maier was the goalkeeper.
His international career brought the biggest prize.
West Germany hosted the 1974 World Cup.
They reached the final against the Netherlands.
The Dutch scored before West Germany had even touched the ball.
West Germany recovered.
They won 2-1.
Maier became a world champion alongside teammates such as Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.
He had also been part of West Germany’s EURO 1972-winning generation.
A serious road accident ended his playing career in 1979.
Without that injury, his longevity might have extended further.
Why he ranks No. 10: Maier combined elite agility and remarkable durability with three consecutive European Cups and a World Cup title during Bayern and West Germany’s golden era.
Who Is the Greatest Goalkeeper of All Time?
Lev Yashin is the greatest goalkeeper of all time in our ranking.
Buffon has the stronger longevity case.
Neuer has the stronger modern tactical influence.
Casillas collected more major European club trophies.
Yashin gets first place because his combination of peak ability and historical influence remains unique.
Most importantly, he achieved something no other goalkeeper has matched.
He won the Ballon d’Or.
That was not a goalkeeper-only award.
He was judged against every footballer.
Yashin won.
His 1963 victory remains one of the strongest pieces of evidence in any goalkeeper GOAT debate.
Yashin vs Buffon vs Neuer
The top three represent three eras of goalkeeping.
| Area | Lev Yashin | Gianluigi Buffon | Manuel Neuer |
| Shot-stopping | Elite | Elite | Elite |
| Reflexes | Elite | Elite | Elite |
| One-on-ones | Elite | Elite | Elite |
| Command | Elite | Elite | Elite |
| Distribution | Era-leading | Very good | Elite |
| Sweeping | Revolutionary for era | Good | Elite |
| Longevity | Elite | Exceptional | Elite |
| Major international title | EURO | World Cup | World Cup |
| Individual recognition | Ballon d’Or | Major GK awards | World Cup Golden Glove |
| Main advantage | Historical peak | Longevity | Tactical revolution |
Yashin has the strongest unique individual distinction.
Buffon gives the most remarkable longevity.
Neuer changed modern tactical expectations most dramatically.
Who Was the Best Shot-Stopper Ever?
There is no objective single answer.
Several goalkeepers have strong cases.
Lev Yashin
Extraordinary agility and reactions for his era.
Gianluigi Buffon
Combined reflexes with near-perfect positioning.
Iker Casillas
Exceptional at short distance and one-on-one situations.
Gordon Banks
Produced some of football’s most famous reaction saves.
Oliver Kahn
Explosive and aggressive when facing close-range shots.
Peak shot-stopping alone would produce a different ranking from complete goalkeeper greatness.
Who Was the Best One-on-One Goalkeeper?
Casillas has one of the strongest historical cases.
His speed off the line and reflexes allowed him to make remarkable saves at close range.
The 2010 World Cup final against Arjen Robben is the clearest example.
Neuer also ranks extremely highly.
His aggressive starting position often allowed him to stop the attack before a conventional one-on-one even developed.
Schmeichel’s spread technique made him another specialist in these situations.
Who Was the Best Sweeper-Keeper Ever?
Manuel Neuer is our No. 1.
Yashin helped establish the idea of the goalkeeper operating more aggressively.
Neuer pushed the concept into the modern tactical era.
His sweeping allowed teams to:
- Keep higher defensive lines
- Compress midfield
- Press more aggressively
- Leave greater space behind defenders
That changed what elite coaches could ask from the goalkeeper.
Who Had the Greatest Goalkeeper Longevity?
Gianluigi Buffon has our strongest case.
His professional career lasted 28 years.
He was elite as a teenager.
He remained capable of winning major goalkeeper awards close to age 40.
Dino Zoff provides another extraordinary case.
Winning the World Cup as captain at age 40 is one of football’s great longevity achievements.
Who Had the Greatest World Cup Goalkeeping Peak?
Several tournaments stand out.
Gianluigi Buffon — 2006
World champion and winner of the tournament’s top goalkeeper award.
Manuel Neuer — 2014
World champion, Golden Glove winner, and defining sweeper-keeper performances.
Iker Casillas — 2010
World champion, Golden Glove winner, and decisive one-on-one save in the final.
Oliver Kahn — 2002
Carried Germany to the final and became the tournament’s Golden Ball winner.
Gordon Banks — 1966
Goalkeeper for England’s only men’s World Cup-winning team.
The answer depends on whether we value overall tournament performance, final success, or individual recognition most heavily.
Who Was the Best Goalkeeper in Champions League History?
There are several strong candidates.
Iker Casillas
Won three Champions League titles with Real Madrid and produced major saves from a young age.
Manuel Neuer
Won twice with Bayern and captained the 2020 treble winners.
Peter Schmeichel
Played a major role in Manchester United’s 1999 treble.
Petr Čech
Produced decisive penalty saves in Chelsea’s 2012 final victory.
Sepp Maier
Won three consecutive European Cups before the modern Champions League era.
Buffon’s lack of a Champions League title is the biggest missing achievement from his career.
Who Was the Best Penalty-Saving Goalkeeper?
Penalty statistics vary greatly by era and competition.
Several goalkeepers became famous in shootouts.
Oliver Kahn saved three penalties in Bayern’s 2001 Champions League final shootout.
Petr Čech was decisive in the 2012 Champions League final.
Peter Schmeichel stopped Marco van Basten during Denmark’s EURO 1992 semi-final.
Casillas also produced important shootout and tournament saves.
Penalty ability matters, but FootballerRank does not allow shootout success alone to dominate a complete career ranking.
Best Goalkeepers of All Time by Style
Best overall goalkeeper
Lev Yashin
The only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or.
Best longevity
Gianluigi Buffon
Elite across an extraordinary 28-year professional career.
Greatest sweeper-keeper
Manuel Neuer
Changed how modern teams use goalkeepers outside the box.
Best reflex goalkeeper
Iker Casillas
His close-range reactions were exceptional.
Best positional longevity
Dino Zoff
Won major international titles 14 years apart and lifted the World Cup at 40.
Most commanding goalkeeper
Peter Schmeichel
His physical presence could control the entire penalty area.
Most iconic single save
Gordon Banks
His 1970 stop from Pelé remains legendary.
Greatest goalkeeper World Cup individual award
Oliver Kahn
Won the 2002 Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
Premier League clean-sheet king
Petr Čech
Holds the competition’s career and single-season clean-sheet records.
Best goalkeeper of Bayern’s first European dynasty
Sepp Maier
Won three consecutive European Cups and the 1974 World Cup.
Why Buffon Is Not No. 1
Buffon has a completely reasonable GOAT case.
His longevity is stronger than Yashin’s.
His career sample across modern elite club football is enormous.
Our ranking gives Yashin a narrow advantage because:
- He changed the position
- He dominated internationally
- He won the inaugural European Championship
- He became the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or
The gap is tiny.
A methodology giving greater weight to longevity could reasonably place Buffon first.
Why Neuer Is Above Casillas
Casillas has the stronger international trophy collection.
He won:
- Two European Championships
- World Cup
- Three Champions Leagues
Neuer receives greater tactical influence credit.
His sweeper-keeper ability changed what elite teams could ask from a goalkeeper.
He also adds:
- 2014 World Cup
- Golden Glove
- Two Champions Leagues
- 2020 treble
- Elite distribution
Casillas remains extremely close.
Why Dino Zoff Is Above Schmeichel
Schmeichel had the more physically dominant style.
Zoff provides extraordinary longevity and a stronger complete international timeline.
He won EURO 1968.
Fourteen years later, he captained Italy to the World Cup.
Doing that at age 40 is exceptional.
Why Oliver Kahn Is Only No. 8
Eighth among all goalkeepers in football history is an elite ranking.
Kahn’s peak could justify a higher place.
His 2002 World Cup Golden Ball is one of the strongest individual achievements by any goalkeeper.
The players above him generally provide stronger combinations of:
- International trophies
- Longevity
- Positional influence
- Complete career consistency
Why Petr Čech Is Only No. 9
Čech’s Premier League record is exceptional.
He owns:
- Most Premier League career clean sheets
- Most clean sheets in one Premier League season
He also won the Champions League.
His international résumé is the main factor separating him from several players above him.
The Czech Republic did not win a World Cup or European Championship during his career.
Why Edwin van der Sar Is Not Included
Edwin van der Sar was extremely close.
His career included:
- Champions League with Ajax
- Champions League with Manchester United
- Premier League titles
- Elite distribution
- Exceptional longevity
He also set a Premier League record for consecutive matches without conceding.
The final place went to Sepp Maier because of his stronger World Cup and three-consecutive-European-Cup résumé.
Van der Sar is one of the strongest near misses.
Why Ricardo Zamora Is Not Included
Ricardo Zamora was one of football’s first globally famous goalkeepers.
Spain’s annual award for the goalkeeper with the best goals-conceded record is named after him.
His historical importance is enormous.
The biggest problem is cross-era evidence.
Much of Zamora’s peak came before modern international and European club competitions existed.
He remains a serious historical candidate, but the available comparison sample is harder to measure against later keepers.
Why José Luis Chilavert Is Not Included
José Luis Chilavert was one of football’s most unusual goalkeepers.
He became famous for:
- Penalty saves
- Free kicks
- Penalty taking
- Leadership
He scored an extraordinary number of career goals for a goalkeeper.
His individual influence was enormous.
The Top 10 contains players with stronger combinations of elite club competition, World Cup success, longevity, and complete goalkeeper performance.
Why Keylor Navas Is Not Included
Keylor Navas won three consecutive Champions League titles as Real Madrid’s starting goalkeeper.
That is an exceptional achievement.
He also produced major international performances for Costa Rica.
His peak belongs in the wider historical discussion.
The Top 10 contains goalkeepers with greater longevity, international trophies, or positional influence.
Who Just Missed the Top 10?
Several legendary goalkeepers were seriously considered.
Notable candidates include:
- Edwin van der Sar
- Ricardo Zamora
- Rinat Dasayev
- Pat Jennings
- José Luis Chilavert
- Keylor Navas
- Peter Shilton
- Walter Zenga
- Thomas N’Kono
- Jean-Marie Pfaff
Different weighting could move several into the Top 10.
Edwin van der Sar
A Champions League winner with two clubs and one of the great ball-playing goalkeepers before that skill became standard.
Rinat Dasayev
Widely regarded as one of the great goalkeepers of the 1980s and an important successor to Yashin in Soviet football.
Pat Jennings
An extraordinary longevity case who represented Northern Ireland at the World Cup at age 41.
Thomas N’Kono
One of Africa’s greatest goalkeepers and an important influence on future generations.
Jean-Marie Pfaff
Elite for Belgium and Bayern Munich during the 1980s.
FAQs
Who are the top three goalkeepers of all time?
Our top three are Lev Yashin, Gianluigi Buffon, and Manuel Neuer. Yashin ranks first for his unmatched historical peak, Buffon second for longevity, and Neuer third for transforming modern goalkeeping.
Is Lev Yashin the greatest goalkeeper ever?
Yes, in our ranking. His elite performances, international success, revolutionary style, and 1963 Ballon d’Or give him the strongest historical case.
Is Yashin the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or?
Yes. Lev Yashin won the Ballon d’Or in 1963 and remains the only goalkeeper to have won the award.
Is Buffon the greatest goalkeeper ever?
He has a legitimate case. Buffon’s 28-year career, World Cup, elite consistency, and extraordinary longevity make the gap between him and Yashin extremely small.
Why is Neuer considered one of the greatest goalkeepers?
Neuer combined elite traditional goalkeeping with exceptional distribution and aggressive sweeping, helping redefine the modern goalkeeper’s tactical role.
Who is the greatest Spanish goalkeeper?
Iker Casillas has the strongest case. He captained Spain to EURO 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and EURO 2012.
Who is the greatest Italian goalkeeper?
Buffon ranks first among Italians in our list, followed by Dino Zoff.
Who is the greatest German goalkeeper?
Manuel Neuer ranks highest, followed by Oliver Kahn and Sepp Maier.
Who is the greatest English goalkeeper?
Gordon Banks ranks first in our historical list after winning the 1966 World Cup and producing the famous 1970 save from Pelé.
Who is the greatest Premier League goalkeeper?
Peter Schmeichel and Petr Čech have the strongest cases in our Top 10. Čech owns the clean-sheet records, while Schmeichel combines five league titles with greater international success.
Who has the most Premier League clean sheets?
Petr Čech holds the record with 202 Premier League clean sheets.
Which goalkeeper won the World Cup Golden Ball?
Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2002 World Cup.
Which goalkeeper won the 2014 World Cup Golden Glove?
Manuel Neuer won the Golden Glove after helping Germany become world champions.
Which goalkeeper won EURO 1992 with Denmark?
Peter Schmeichel was Denmark’s goalkeeper and produced major saves during their surprise title run.
Who was Italy’s goalkeeper when they won the 1982 World Cup?
Dino Zoff captained Italy from goal and won the tournament at age 40.
Can current goalkeepers eventually enter this ranking?
Yes.
Historical rankings should change when active players build enough career evidence.
Recent performances matter, but FootballerRank avoids placing active goalkeepers too high before their complete careers can be evaluated.
Sources and Fact-Checking
FootballerRank uses research-based editorial rankings rather than clean-sheet totals alone.
For this article, we checked:
- FIFA World Cup records
- European Championship history
- European Cup and Champions League records
- Ballon d’Or history
- Official club appearance records
- Goalkeeper awards
- Major tournament performances
- Documented playing styles
- Position-specific longevity
- Tactical influence
Era adjustment received particular attention.
Yashin played before goalkeepers were expected to pass under a coordinated high press.
Neuer played in systems where distribution and sweeping became central to the role.
Banks played on very different pitches with different equipment.
Buffon and Casillas competed during another tactical period.
We therefore first judge how well each goalkeeper performed the demands of his own era before comparing overall greatness.
FootballerRank ratings are editorial rather than official.
They are designed to make the ranking criteria transparent rather than pretending there is one mathematical answer to a debate that crosses nearly a century of football.
Conclusion
Lev Yashin ranks as our best goalkeeper of all time because his elite shot-stopping, command, revolutionary approach, international success, and unique status as the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or give him the strongest complete historical case. Gianluigi Buffon follows after an extraordinary 28-year career built on world-class consistency and a World Cup-winning peak, while Manuel Neuer takes third after combining elite traditional goalkeeping with sweeper-keeper play that changed the tactical expectations of the modern position. Casillas, Zoff, Schmeichel, Banks, Kahn, Čech, and Maier complete a Top 10 that rewards saves, major-match performance, longevity, leadership, tactical influence, and the different demands goalkeepers faced across football history.
