The Top 10 Goalkeepers of All Time

Lev Yashin is considered the greatest goalkeeper of all-time on most top 10 lists. Though the goalkeeping position has evolved and changed drastically over the decades since Yashin stood between the sticks, the fundamentals of the role have not changed. Goalkeeper is arguable the hardest position to play in football. In the modern game, ‘keepers need to be good with their feet, whereas in generations past, the goalie only had to be good at shot-stopping and catching crosses.

Yashin was born in Moscow in the Soviet Union in 1929. He began his professional career as a youth team footballer at Dynamo Moscow in 1948, but his senior career lasted 21 years, from 1950 to 1970. Yashin was a one club man, although rare in modern football, this was common during the last century. He was nicknamed the "Black Spider" by supporters because of the all-black outfits he wore in goal.

He made 326 appearances for Dynamo Moscow, and was capped 74 times by the Soviet Union, and six times for the Soviet Union Olympic team. He is known for revolutionising the goalkeeping position. He was known for his imposing presence, athleticism, positioning, and acrobatic reflex saves. 

Yashin was an imposing and vocal presence on the pitch, shouting at his defenders, and rushing attacking forwards instead of waiting. He was one of the first ‘keepers to come out for crosses, another improvement he made to the position. Yashin played at four World Cups between 1958 and 1970. The Black Spider caught the imagination of the world audience in 1958 as the tournament was broadcast internationally for the first time.

Yashin won five Soviet Top League titles and three Soviet Cups with Dynamo Moscow. He won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics and was a winner at the 1960 European Championships. The Soviet goalie is thought to have saved more than 150 penalties, and he remains the only keeper to win the Ballon d'Or. The ‘Best Goalkeeper in the World’ award is named in his honour (Yashin Trophy) and was first awarded in 2019.

In 2020, the Russian goalie was posthumously named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020, which is a greatest all-time football team. He was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and was also named in the IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team in 2021. Finally, Yashin was voted by France Football as the greatest goalkeeper of all time in 2020.

Who are the Top 10 Greatest Goalkeepers in World Football?

The top 10 greatest goalkeepers are another debate altogether, but SportsBoom have put together our list of the best the world has ever seen. Since 1984, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics is one of the most reputable organisations that chronicles the history, records, and other data of association football. 

IFFHS has a point-scoring system for most footballers to have played professional football – these are SportsBoom’s top 10 greatest goalkeepers of all time. All these goalkeepers have won the big trophies, either at club or country level. Many goalies deserve to be on this list, but number of trophies and individual awards won, longevity, generational aura, and data has decided the best of all time.

All-Time World’s Best Goalkeeper Ranking

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