While Goalkeepers are often overlooked in lists of most skilled footballers. The speed and concentration displayed by most successful Goalkeepers are superior to players at other positions. In this article, you will get information about the Top 10 Best Goalkeepers in Football History.
Many Goalkeepers showed exceptional skill between the posts before becoming not noticed after a season or two. However, plenty of top athletes regularly turn in strong performances every year. The top soccer Goalkeepers in the past are listed below.
Top 10 Best Goalkeepers in Football History
The most successful Goalkeepers have characteristics like speed, coordination, bravery, strength, leadership concentration, anticipation, position, reactions, and agility. The Goalkeepers became famous for their courage in advancing away from their goal to take crosses and secure forwards.
The Goalkeeper also played at many other clubs and international matches. The now-famous starfish saves, perfected throughout his lengthy and glittering career. Prove that he was the most impressive Goalkeeper ever to have played. Here is the list of the Top 10 Best Goalkeepers in Football History
10. Petr Cech – Czech Republic
Nickname | Big Pete |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 20 May 1982 |
Age | 41 years |
Birth place | Pilsen Czechia |
Country | Czech Republic |
Education and school | Birthplace |
Height | 1.96 m |
Weight | 92 Kg |
Family Details | Mother Name Libuše Čechová, and father Name Václav Čech. Both are retired athletes. Čech elder sister name Markéta. |
Petr Cech was born on the 20th of May, 1982, and was a Czech professional footballer and Goalkeeper. Many coaches and other players identified him as one of the most successful Goalkeepers in European the history of Europe.
The huge Chelsea and the Czech Republic Goalkeeper were one of the most consistent and impressive shoot-stoppers of his time. Many believe Petr Cech was among the top three Goalkeepers of the game on Planet Football for the period. After his transfer 2004 from Rennes to Chelsea in 2004.
9. Edwin Van Der Sar – The Netherlands
Nickname | het ijskonijn” aka “The Ice Rabbit |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 29 October 1970 |
Age | 52 years |
Birth place | Voorhout |
Country | Netherlands |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.98 m |
Weight | 87 Kg |
Family Details | Wife name Annemarie van Kesteren they have two children |
Edwin van der Sar born was 29 October1970, in Voorhout, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He began in the professional game with Ajax in 1990 and then played for the massive Dutch club for nine years. Van der Sar played for Ajax, Juventus, and Fulham.
Van der Sar played for Fulham, Juventus, Ajax, and Manchester United. He had crowned the Champions League with Ajax in 1995. And again with United in 2008 when the team was awarded Man of the Match.
8. Gordon Banks – England
Nickname | Banks of England |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 30 December 1937 |
Age | 81 years |
Birth place | Abbeydale, Sheffield |
Country | English |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.83 m |
Weight | 84 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Gordon Banks, born on 30 December 1937, was a famous English footballer who played for England’s national team. In December 2015, it was revealed that Banks was undergoing treatment for kidney cancer. Banks passed away on the 12th of February 2019 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, at 81.
Banks will be remembered for his historic save during the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico. They managed to force Pele’s goal-bound shot across the goal line in what many experts believe is the greatest save in football history.
7. Dino Zoff – Italy
Nickname | Monument |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 28 February 1942 |
Age | 81 years |
Birth place | Mariano del Friuli |
Country | Italy |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.82 m |
Weight | 81 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Dino Zoff was born on February 28, 1942, in Mariano del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. In general, he participated in 112 matches in international competitions for Italy from 1968 until 1983.
When he won the World Cup at the age of 40 and became the oldest Goalkeeper, captain, and player to be crowned at the World Cup. He was also recognized as the oldest remaining captain after the passing of Hilderaldo Bellini in the year 2014. He was the oldest player ever to win the tournament while being only the second Goalkeeper to win the trophy.
6. Manuel Neuer – Germany
Nickname | Neuer the Wall |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 27 March 1986 |
Age | 37 years |
Birth place | Gelsenkirchen |
Country | Germany |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.93 m |
Weight | 93 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Manuel Peter Neuer, born on the 27th of March in 1986, was widely recognized as one of the most outstanding Goalkeepers ever. A German professional footballer is a captain and Goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the German national team.
Schalke 04, Bayern Munich Germany’s national team Goalkeeper, is just beginning his professional career; over the 9 years he has been playing the game, he has proved that he is among the top Goalkeepers.
5. Oliver Kahn – Germany
Nickname | Der Titan |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | June 15, 1969 |
Age | 53 years |
Birth place | Karlsruhe |
Country | West Germany |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.88 m |
Weight | 91 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Oliver Rolf Kahn, born 15 June 1969, was a former German goalie for the football team. In 1994, he signed a contract with Bayern Munich for the fee of DM4.6 million. He continued to play until the end of his career in 2008.
The fiery, blonde-haired No. 1 won everything there is to achieve in club football during his time in Bavaria. One of the highlights of his career was his heroic penalty-saving efforts in the shootout of the 2001 Champions League final against Valencia was instrumental in bringing Bayern the premier European Cup for 25 years.
4. Peter Schmeichel – Denmark
Nickname | The Great Dane |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 18 November 1963 |
Age | 59 years |
Birth place | Søborggård parish of Gladsaxe |
Country | Denmark |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.93 m |
Weight | 96 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Peter Boleslaw Schmeichel, born on 18 November 1963. He was an ex-professional player who was Goalkeeper for the English team Manchester United and Denmark national team.
He is famous for his impressive appearance in the penalty box when confronted by a player on the move. Schmeichel played in 292 games between 1991 to 1999. He won five league titles before his moment of glory during his final match at Old Trafford. Which fittingly came in his final game with the Red Devils.
3. Iker Casillas – Spain
Nickname | The Saint |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 20 May 1981 |
Age | 42 years |
Birth place | Móstoles |
Country | Spain |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.82 m |
Weight | 84 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Iker Casillas Fernandez was brought into the world on twentieth May 1981 was a Spanish expert footballer who was a Goalkeeper at the Portuguese club Porto. Furthermore, he led Spain to their first title as a nation in the last 44 years at Euro 2008. A feat that he repeated in Euro 2012, and in between. He steered Spain towards their only World Cup triumph in South Africa. Which made him one of a select group of players who have been awarded every major world and domestic title.
2. Lev Yashin – Soviet Union
Nickname | Black Spider or the Black Panther |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 22 October 1929 |
Age | 60 years |
Birth place | Moscow |
Country | Russia |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.89 m |
Weight | 82 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
Lev Ivanovich Yashin was born on 22nd October 1929 and passed away on the 20th of March 1990. He was from Moscow, Russia, and an ex-Soviet professional footballer, regarded by many as the best Goalkeeper in football history.
The sole Goalkeeper who had ever been awarded the Ballon d’Or, Lev Yashin was an absolute pioneer in his place. He dazzling fans with his stunning and acrobatic saves and his iconic all-black strip. This was paired with the impression that more legs gave him the name ‘The Black Spider’.
1. Gianluigi Buffon – Italy
Nickname | Gigi |
Profession | Footballer |
Date of Birth | 28 January 1978 |
Age | 45 years |
Birth place | Carrara |
Country | Italy |
Education and school | Not Available |
Height | 1.92 m |
Weight | 84 Kg |
Family Details | Not Available |
The Goalkeeper who wears the Alice band on his hair has long been among the world’s greatest Goalkeepers. From his infamous Serie A debut against AC Milan as a youngster to guiding Juventus to the record-breaking seventh consecutive Scudetto. Buffon boasted a continuous level of unmatched performance. Buffon has become a legendary figure at Juve for his commitment to Juve despite their demotion into Serie B.