In brief
A club needs an outstanding goalkeeper for continuous success, as witnessed with Alisson and Ederson at Liverpool and Man City, respectively.
Modern goalkeepers must excel in numerous areas including shot-stopping and ball distribution.
The top 20 goalkeepers in the world include Alisson, Thibaut Courtois, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Emiliano Martinez.
For a team to stand any hope of continuous success, they need a reliable goalkeeper in between the sticks. There’s a cap on the heights a team can attain if they aren’t protected at the back by an excellent shot-stopper. Adding one to your side can change it from teetering contender to championship dynasty, as we’ve seen in the past, with the likes of Alisson Becker and Ederson propelling Liverpool and Manchester City respectively to levels of success they wouldn’t have reached without them.
Due to the improvement in modern-day football, goalkeepers have to be able to play a number of duties. Firstly, they must be world-class shotstoppers, 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 outstanding number one can be difficult, though, with their being a very select set of very exceptional goalies in the world right now. Here are the very best around.
Factors that rank
The following factors are taken into account:
Clean sheets: A reliable measure of a company’s quality is the number of clean sheets they have registered. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that some teams have better defences than others.
Relevance to their team: Even if they don’t play for the top teams, they will be highly ranked if they are continuously making saves of the highest calibre and supporting their team every minute.
International records: They are well-rounded due to their performances for their national teams, which complement their club achievements.
Distribution: Goalkeepers in today’s game need to be able to initiate attacks with accurate passes.
Shot-stopping is the foundation of being a goalie, so they must be able to consistently make excellent saves.
World Football’s Top Goalkeepers [Ranked]
Rank
Name
Club
One
Alisson
Liverpool
2.
Courtois, Thibaut
Real Madrid
3.
Raya David
The Arsenal
4.
Oblak, Jan
Real Madrid
5.
Martinez, Emiliano
Villa Aston
6.
Diogo Costa
Porto
7.
Sommer Yann
Milan Inter
8.
Ederson
City of Manchester
9.
Neuer, Manuel
The Bayern Munich
10.
Kobel, Gregor
Dortmund Borussia
11.
Maignan, Mike
Milan AC
Twelve
De Gea, David
The Fiorentina
13.
Onana, Andre
United Manchester
14
Diane Rumma Gianluigi
Saint-Germain, Paris
15.
Simon Unai
Sports Club
16
Hradecky Lukas
Leverkusen Bayer
17
Mamardashvili Giorgi
Valencia (Losing from Liverpool)
18
Andre Marc-Stegen
Barcelona
19.
Vicario Guglielmo
Tottenham
20
Pickford, Jordan
Everton
20Jordan Pickford
Everton
Jordan Pickford, who remains the Three Lions’ first-choice, was among the reliable players in England’s Euro 2024 campaign. Every time he keeps the ball out of his own net, the Everton goalie, who has a large personality, can’t help but throw extravagant celebrations.
His employers have a great deal of faith in the 30-year-old because of his dedication and desire. Even though the Toffees are frequently involved in relegation struggles, Pickford is frequently the one to step up and keep the team from falling to the second division of English football. The Sunderland-born ‘keeper’s 13 Premier League clean sheets in the 2023–24 season were the most held by anyone but David Raya. Despite the Toffees’ difficult start to the season, the former Sunderland player has maintained that form thus far this season, keeping nine clean sheets.
Pickford, Jordan (2024–2025)
Looks
24
Objectives Given Up
28
Clean Sheets
10.
19Guglielmo Vicario
Tottenham
Guglielmo Vicario left Empoli for Tottenham in the summer of 2023. He took over for Hugo Lloris, who made a lot of mistakes in the 2022–2023 season after ten years of outstanding service. Vicario replaced him as he left to join LA FC.
The former Empoli player had a great start to his Premier League career, displaying both outstanding shot-stopping skills and a knack for playing sweeper-keeper. He is one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world because of his self-assurance and moral qualities. If the Italian hadn’t sustained an ankle injury that would keep him out for most of the 2024–25 season, he would probably be much higher on this list. Spurs have missed him a lot.
2024–2025 Guglielmo Vicario
Looks
15.
Objectives Given Up
15.
Clean Sheets
4.
18Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona
Since Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona in 2021, there has been a great deal of change and uncertainty at the club, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been a constant. His inconsistent performance, though, has angered his own fan base.
The team won the league in 2022–2023 and took home the La Liga Zamora trophy thanks in large part to the ‘keeper’s outstanding reflexes and excellent distribution. He has, however, appeared far less reliable in goal in more recent years. Despite missing action since September due to a ruptured patellar tendon, he is still Los Cules’ number one player.
2024–2025 Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Looks
7.
Objectives Given Up
7.
Clean Sheets
One
17Giorgi Mamardashvili
Valencia (on loan from Liverpool)
At Euro 2024, Giorgi Mamardashvili was one of the most impressive players. The man-mountain consistently kept the underdogs in games as they accomplished the incredible feat of making it to the knockout stages. His commanding presence between the posts was enough to make even the best forwards in the area shudder.
The talented Portugal team, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, failed to overcome the star as the Georgians advanced from the group stage. Although Mamardashvili was immediately loaned back to Valencia for the 2024–2025 season, his heroics this summer likely convinced Liverpool to spend a lot of money on him.
Mamardashvili Giorgi, 2024–2025
The way things look
17.
Conceded Goals
30.
Clear Sheets
Four
16Lukas Hradecky
Bayer Leverkusen
Although Lukas Hradecky is one of the squad’s key leaders from between the posts, Xabi Alonso is the face of Bayer Leverkusen’s all-conquering team and the best young manager in the world. The captain of Leverkusen fits the description of a quirky goalie. “Why do footballers have to be more saints than others?” Hradecky questioned after consuming a fan’s beer after an international triumph with Finland.
The 35-year-old goalie has had an incredible 12 months on the field. Last time out, Hradecky played at his peak as Leverkusen accomplished the unfathomable by going unbeaten throughout the Bundesliga season and capturing both the league title and the DFB-Pokal. The Finnish great has made an impression in the later years of his career, even though they haven’t been as powerful since.
Hradecky Lukas, 2024–2025
Looks
21
Objectives Given Up
29
Clean Sheets
4.
15Unai Simon
Athletic Club
Since the COVID-19 epidemic, Unai Simon has been Spain’s top goalkeeper, continuing the longstanding heritage of outstanding Basque goalkeepers. Simon’s main strength is with the ball at his feet, but he also has good shot-stopping skills despite his little size in the prestigious world of ‘keepers.
After Kepa Arrizabalaga was sold, Simon was unexpectedly promoted from Athletic Club’s fourth-choice to the starting position almost immediately. Since then, he has become a prime example of the modern-day custodian. Which player is more prone to mistakes than the 27-year-old? However, his consistency has been sufficient to lead Spain to the European Championship. Despite missing the most of the 2024–25 season due to a wrist injury that affected his positioning, he has already recorded two clean sheets in his first six games back.
Simon Unai, 2024–2025
Looks
6.
Objectives Given Up
5.
Clean Sheets
2.
