Top 25 greatest goalkeepers of all time in football history

The greatest goalkeepers of all time in football history are renowned for their strength, handling technique, speed, agility, consistency, and vigilance on the pitch. Their impressive skills in saving the goals, including penalties and free kicks, catapulted their teams to multiple victories. Find out who the greatest goalkeepers of all time are.

This article lists male athletes considered the greatest goalkeepers of all time, along with their last or current clubs as plays. Additionally, it shared their senior career metrics (total club appearances, goals conceded, and clean sheets) as well as their international career stats (national team caps/goals).

Top 25 greatest goalkeepers of all time in football history

Below is a list of the greatest goalkeepers of all time Premier League. These players are drawn from different teams, leagues, and nationalities. Some are retired, while others continue to play football competitively.

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Greatest goalkeepers of all time in football

For decades, the world has seen many gifted goalkeepers, but only a few have achieved exceptional career success. So, in recognition of their professional accomplishments, those who make a lasting impression on the international sports scene are hailed as the best goalkeepers in football history.

25. Lev Yashin

• Full name: Lev Ivanovich Yashin
• Date of birth: 22 October 1929
• Died: 20 March 1990 (age 60 years)
• Place of birth: Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

Yashin was known for his athleticism, positioning, imposing presence in goal, and acrobatic reflex saves. He earned status for revolutionizing the goalkeeping position by imposing his authority on the entire defense. Lev Yashin was also deputy chairman of the Football Federation of the Soviet Union.

24. Thibaut Courtois

• Full name: Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois
• Date of birth: 11 May 1992
• Age: 32 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Bree, Belgium

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Courtois is known for his reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of the penalty area. He began his career with Genk and made his senior debut in 2009 at age 16. Thibaut Courtois went on to establish himself as the club's starting goalkeeper and won the Belgian Pro League. He now plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Belgium national team.

23. Alisson Becker

• Full name: Álisson Ramsés Becker
• Date of birth: 2 October 1992
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Novo Hamburgo, Brazil

Becker is renowned for his immense shot-stopping, distribution and ability in one-on-one situations. He joined Internacional's academy in 2002, progressing through his youth career before making his senior debut in 2013. Álisson Becker now plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team.

22. Pat Jennings

• Full name: Patrick Anthony Jennings
• Date of birth: 12 June 1945
• Age: 78 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Newry, Northern Ireland

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Jennings started his career at Watford FC before spending thirteen years at Tottenham Hotspur, where he played in 472 league games and 591 in all competitions. He then played for Arsenal for around 8 years, then moved to Everton and retired in 1986. Pat Jennings is acknowledged for playing 119 international matches for Northern Ireland in an international career which lasted for over 22 years.

21. Hugo Lloris

• Full name: Hugo Hadrien Dominique Lloris
• Date of birth: 26 December 1986
• Age: 37 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Nice, France

Lloris began his career at his older brother's former club, Nice, as a central defender. He made his debut as a teenager in October 2005 and started as a goalkeeper during the team's run to the 2006 Coupe de la Ligue final. After another solid season with Nice, Hugo Lloris moved to Lyon. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur between 2012 and 2024, then joined the Los Angeles FC in 2024.

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20. Neville Southall

• Full name: Neville Southall
• Date of birth: 16 September 1958
• Age: 65 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Llandudno, United Kingdom

Neville Southall is a former international football player and coach. He is described as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, having won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985. Before retiring from playing, Neville Southall played for 18 teams, including his last team, Dagenham & Redbridge.

19. Peter Shilton

• Full name: Peter Leslie Shilton
• Date of birth: 18 September 1949
• Age: 74 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Leicester, England

Peter Shilton is one of the 20 greatest goalkeepers of all time. He had a 30-year career, including spells at 11 clubs and over 1,000 league games. Some of the clubs he played for were Leicester City, West Ham United, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers, and Plymouth Argyle. Peter Shilton retired in 1997.

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18. Michel Preud'homme

• Full name: Michel Georges Jean Ghislain Preud'homme
• Date of birth: 24 January 1959
• Age: 65 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Ougrée, Seraing, Belgium

Michel Preud'homme is a retired footballer and manager who played as a goalkeeper. He is the sitting vice president and sports director at Standard Liège. He was considered one of the world's best and most consistent goalkeepers during his professional career. Michel Preud'homme retired at Benfica in 1999.

17. Giampiero Combi

• Full name: Gianpiero Combi
• Date of birth: 20 November 1902
• Died: 12 August 1956 (age 53 years)
• Place of birth: Turin, Italy

The late Gianpiero Combi spent his entire youth and senior football career at Juventus, where he won five Italian League titles. He was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world during the 1930s and is regarded as one of Italy's best-ever goalkeepers.

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16. Ricardo Zamora

• Full name: Ricardo Zamora Martínez
• Date of birth: 21 January 1901
• Died: 8 September 1978
• Place of birth: 21 January 1901

The late Ricardo Zamora was a footballer and manager. He was mainly known as a Real Madrid goalkeeper, although he played for five clubs in his senior career, including FC Barcelona. Zamora had all the virtues imaginable in a goalkeeper, which is why he was known as the divine one.

15. Edwin van der Sar

• Full name: Edwin van der Sar
• Date of birth: 29 October 1970
• Age: 53 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Voorhout, Netherlands

Edwin van der Sar was an exceptional sportsman and athlete. He helped the Red Devils to clinch four Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League. Edwin van der Sar retired from active football after playing for United against Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final but still played for the Dutch amateur team, VV Noordwijk, in 2016.

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14. Gordon Banks

• Full name: Gordon Banks
• Date of birth: 30 December 1937
• Date of death: 12 February 2019 (aged 81)
• Place of birth: Sheffield, England

The late Gordon Banks was one of the best English goalkeepers of all time. He made 73 appearances for his country and was named the IFFHS' second-best goalkeeper of the 20th century. His career was cut short on 22 October 1972 when his right eye lost sight in a car accident.

13. Peter Schmeichel

• Full name: Peter Bolesław Schmeichel
• Date of birth: 18 November 1963
• Age: 60 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Gladsaxe, Denmark

Peter Schmeichel is a former professional goalkeeper. During eight seasons at English club Manchester United, he captained the club to victory in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final. He also played with the Danish national team, with whom he won the UEFA Euro 1992. Peter Schmeichel played his last season with Manchester City before retiring in 2003.

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12. Oliver Kahn

• Full name: Oliver Rolf Kahn
• Date of birth: 15 June 1969
• Age: 54 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Karlsruhe, Germany

The retired goalkeeper is ranked among Germany's most distinguished footballers. Bayern Munich won eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, six League Cups, a UEFA Cup, and a Champions League when Oliver Kahn was a goalie for the team.

11. Petr Čech

• Full name: Petr Čechis
• Date of birth: 20 May 1982
• Age: 42 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Plzeň, Czechoslovakia

Petr Čechis is among the best goalkeepers of all time ranker history. He achieved many UEFA Champions League and Europa League titles in his career. Petr Cech now plays semi-professional ice hockey as Chelmsford Chieftains' goaltender and is Chelsea's technical and performance advisor.

10. Dino Zoff

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• Full name: Dino Zoff
• Date of birth: 28 February 1942
• Age: 82 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Mariano del Friuli, Italy

Dino Zoff made history as the oldest player to win a World Cup at 40 while captaining the Italian squad. His last international team was Juventus. Dino Zoff made his final appearance with the Italian national team on 29 May 1983 and retired on 2 June 1983.

9. Manuel Neuer

• Full name: Manuel Peter Neuer
• Date of birth: 27 March 1986
• Age: 38 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Neuer is among the few goalkeepers who can play other positions. Football fans once persuaded him to take the midfielder position. He assumes the roles of a defender or free-kick taker any time Bayern trails behind in important games. Manuel Neuer has been playing for Bayern Munich since 2011.

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8. Iker Casillas

• Full name: Iker Casillas Fernández
• Date of birth: 20 May 1981
• Age: 43 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Móstoles, Spain

Iker Casillas Fernández is among the seven keepers who have won the UCL thrice. He played 725 times for Real Madrid during his 16-year senior career before joining FC Porto in 2015. Iker Casillas was Spain's first-choice goalkeeper from 2008 to 2012. He retired in August 2020 and is now the deputy to the Real Madrid Foundation CEO.

7. Gianluigi Buffon

• Full name: Gianluigi Buffon
• Date of birth: 28 January 1978
• Age: 46 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Carrara, Italy

Gianluigi is among the top 10 world best goalkeepers of all time in the Premier League. Numerous football pundits consider him to be the greatest Italian shot-stopper of all time in the 2000s. Between 1997 and 2018, the Juventus star played 178 times for Italy, winning the World Cup in 2006. Gianluigi Buffon retired in 2023. He is among the few recorded players with over 1,100 professional career appearances.

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6. Mike Maignan

• Full name: Carl Onora Ikeme
• Date of birth: 8 June 1986
• Age: 37 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Sutton Coldfield, England

AC Milan's Mike Maignan plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club AC Milan and the France national team. He played for Paris Saint-Germain and Lille before joining AC Milan. Mike Maignan made his senior international debut in 2020. He was selected in the French squad for UEFA Euro 2020.

5. Carl Ikeme

• Full name: Carl Onora Ikeme
• Date of birth: 8 June 1986
• Age: 37 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Sutton Coldfield, England

Carl Ikeme, a retired player, was the longest-serving Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper. He never signed a permanent contract with another club despite spending 15 years on loan at eight different clubs. Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia a year before the 2018 World Cup. He beat the illness but did not return to the field.

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4. Richard Kingson

• Full name: Richard Kingson
• Date of birth: 13 June 1978
• Age: 45 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Accra, Ghana

Retired footballer Richard Kingson is one of the top 5 best goalkeepers in the world of all time. He played in two FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Blackpool, and Galatasaray are among the international clubs he played for. He remains one of the best African goalkeepers ever.

3. Édouard Mendy

• Full name: Édouard Osoque Mendy
• Date of birth: 1 March 1992
• Age: 32 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Montivilliers, France

Édouard Osoque Mendy is a goalkeeper for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and the Senegal national team. He was named the best goalkeeper in the world during the 2021 FIFA Best Awards. Édouard Mendy remains one of the greatest EPL goalkeepers of all time.

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2. Andre Arendse

• Full name: Andre Leander Arendse
• Date of birth: 27 June 1967
• Age: 56 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Cape Town, South Africa

Arendse made his debut in 1991 for Cape Town Spurs. He was loaned to Cape Town side Santos in 1992. He later played professionally for Oxford United, Fulham, Santos, Mamelodi Sundowns, and SuperSport United. Andre Arendse is one of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time. He now works as an assistant and goalkeeper coach for Supersport United and has also been a co-presenter with SuperSport.

1. Bruce David Grobbelaar

• Full name: Bruce David Grobbelaar
• Date of birth: 6 October 1957
• Age: 66 years old (as of 2024)
• Place of birth: Durban, South Africa

Grobbelaar is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time in the history of the game. He played for the Zimbabwean national team and multiple clubs between 1973 and 2007. Bruce Grobbelaar is remembered for his gymnastic-like athletic ability, unflappable confidence, and eccentric flamboyant style.

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Who is the best goalie of all time in football?

The best goalie of all time in football is often considered to be Lev Yashin, known as the "Black Spider" for his incredible reflexes and shot-stopping ability. He is the only goalkeeper to have won the Ballon d'Or, awarded in 1963.

Who is considered the greatest goalkeeper of all time?

Some of the greatest goalkeepers of all time include Bruce David Grobbelaar, Andre Arendse, Édouard Mendy, Mike Maignan, Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and Petr Čech.

Who are the best African goalkeepers of all time?

Some of the best African goalkeepers of all time include Andre Arendse, Bruce Grobbelaar, Thomas N’Kono, Joseph-Antoine Bell, Jacques Songo’o, and Ezzaki Badou.

Who are the greatest Irish goalkeepers of all time?

Some of the greatest Irish goalkeepers of all time include Pat Jennings, Denis Irwin, Frank Stapleton, Robbie Keane, Liam Brady, Roy Keane, and George Best.

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Who is better, Schmeichel or Casillas?

A comparison of their senior career stats shared on Transfermarket.com shows Iker Casillas has had more club appearances, goals conceded, and clean sheets than Peter Schmeichel.

The best goalkeepers of all time built a strong bond and understanding with their teammates. Most ended their careers after many years of admirable success. Some are still in the game and raising the bar even higher for upcoming goalkeepers.

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