Best goalkeepers of all time: Top 10 greatest stoppers in football history ranked

The greatest goalkeepers in history have excelled at football's most isolated role - the very last line of defence.

From the early 20th century to more recent shot-stopping stars, keepers occupy the game’s most pressurised position, set apart from their teammates.

The final barrier between sporting disaster and success, their spectacular saves may fill highlight reels but mistakes can carry a high cost. One minute a hero, the next a villain.

So, considering agility, shot-stopping, consistency and longevity, who have been football's greatest goalkeepers to date? Here, Sports Mole ranks our top 10.

Top 10 greatest goalkeepers of all time

10. Ricardo Zamora (Spain)

Years active: 22 (1916-1938)
Teams: Espanyol, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Nice
Career appearances: 249 (official)
International caps: 46
Trophies: 7

Surely the best goalkeeper of the 1920s and 30s, Zamora showed great bravery between the posts: tough and imposing, he was renowned for fearlessly diving at the feet of oncoming attackers. Indeed, in 1929, he played on despite suffering a broken sternum as Spain secured a landmark win over England.

He was also Spanish football’s first major celebrity, playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid - beloved by fans and the media alike, he even starred in a film.

Despite the overtures of Barca's founder Joan Gamper, it was with their cross-city rivals Espanyol that Zamora started out, making his debut against Real - the club he finally joined more than a decade later.

A silver medallist with the first-ever Spain team at the 1920 Olympics, 'El Divino' was certainly a colourful character, being sent off for punching an Italian striker at the Games, then attempting to smuggle home Havana cigars. He later served a one-year ban for tax evasion but still returned to play at the 1934 World Cup.

Now known as the man who lends his name to La Liga’s annual best goalkeeper award, Zamora also won the Copa del Rey five times and claimed two Spanish titles. The outbreak of civil war meant the 1936 cup final was his last match for Madrid, and having narrowly escaped execution he ended an eventful playing career at Nice.

9. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)

Years active: 16 (2009-)
Teams: Genk, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid
Career appearances: 745
International caps: 103
Trophies: 21

Standing at 6ft 7in - and appearing even taller to opposition forwards - the towering Belgian is undoubtedly among the best keepers of the 21st century.

Not only did he make a huge impact at both Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, having started out with Genk, Courtois has already earned a century of senior caps for Belgium.

A past winner of the Zamora and Yashin trophies, gaining plaudits for his consistency, anticipation and all-round game, he has also won all the top club honours in football and helped his country claim bronze at the 2018 World Cup.

Now nearer the end of his career than the start, Courtois will surely never top an incredible performance against Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final, where he pulled off nine superb saves as Real claimed yet another European crown.

8. Oliver Kahn (Germany)

Years active: 22 (1987-2008)
Teams: Karlsruher SC, Bayern Munich
Career appearances: 716
International caps: 86
Trophies: 18

Named the Bundesliga's top stopper on no fewer than seven occasions, Kahn set the bar for consistency and dedication throughout a trophy-laden career.

The Karlsruhe-born keeper made 128 league appearances for his hometown club before Bayern Munich came calling in 1994, and after 14 years in Bavaria he ended up with eight German titles and six DFB Pokal triumphs.

'Der Titan' also won the Intercontinental Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League - with the latter success in 2001 tasting particularly sweet. After Bayern blew the 1999 final during stoppage time, two years later Kahn saved three penalties in dramatic shootout victory over Valencia.

His heroism then took unfancied Germany through to the 2002 World Cup final, where Die Mannschaft's captain missed out on the main prize but became the first ever keeper to win the Golden Ball.

Voted FIFA world goalkeeper of the year on three occasions - and twice German player of the season - Kahn will also be remembered for his combative style and outspoken approach, which made him a media favourite in Munich.

7. Iker Casillas (Spain)

Years active: 21 (1999-2020)
Teams: Real Madrid, Porto
Career appearances: 1,085
International caps: 167
Trophies: 23

Another legendary Real Madrid keeper, Casillas established himself as the club's number one while still a teenager, shortly before taking the gloves for Spain's senior side.

After coming through the academy and making his league debut at the very end of the 20th century, he represented Los Blancos for almost 20 years, also playing a huge role in Spain's greatest era to date.

In 2008 he was made national captain, going on to lead La Roja to the European title and their first World Cup win two years later: en route to global glory, Casillas kept a joint–record five clean sheets, claiming the Yashin Award.

While winning the Euros again in 2012, he set a championship record for most consecutive minutes without conceding (509); two years on, he became just the sixth player to represent Spain at four World Cups.

Included in the UEFA Team of the Year on six consecutive occasions, and named IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper five years straight from 2008 to 2012, Casillas must be remembered as one of the best.

6. Sepp Maier (West Germany)

Years active: 21 (1962-1980)
Teams: Bayern Munich
Career appearances: 804
International caps: 95
Trophies: 15

Renowned for his feline reflexes and agility, Maier was an integral cog in the 1970s successes of Bayern Munich and West Germany. Having once played 442 consecutive league matches, his sheer consistency was unmatched.

Having been an undisputed number one for both club and country during a golden era, when a road accident ended his career at the age of 35 he had already won virtually every piece of silverware available.

As well as four triumphs in both the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal, Maier played his part in Bayern's continental heyday: he was ever present for a memorable mid-70s hat-trick in the European Cup.

In 1974, 'Die Katze' got his gloves on a World Cup winners' medal too, two years after claiming the continental title with his country.

A larger-than-life character, Maier was also named German Footballer of the Year on three occasions - a remarkable feat for any goalkeeper.

5. Dino Zoff (Italy)

Years active: 22 (1961-1983)
Teams: Udinese, Mantova, Napoli, Juventus
Career appearances: 754
International caps: 112
Trophies: 11

For two decades, Zoff was one of the most efficient and reliable goalkeepers on the planet - despite being rejected by both Inter Milan and Juventus as a 14-year-old for being too small.

He ultimately became the only Italian to win both the European Championship and the World Cup: incredibly, those wins were 14 years apart, with the latter arriving at the grand age of 40. Italy's success in Spain made him the oldest World Cup winner ever, and the Azzurri's skipper was naturally named best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Between 1972 and 1974, Zoff set a new record for the longest spell without shipping a goal in international matches, surviving 1,142 minutes unbreached before finally conceding.

A late bloomer, he would be 30 by the time Juve did come calling, but that still left time to win six Scudetti. By the time he hung up his gloves, he had also set a number of Serie A records, including oldest player (41) and most consecutive appearances (332).

Never flashy or flamboyant, Zoff's calm and composed ways inspired confidence in his back line for club and country, at a time when Italian defending set the standard.

4. Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)

Years active: 22 (1961-1983)
Teams: Gladsaxe-Hero, Hvidovre, Brondby, Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa, Manchester City
Career appearances: 777
International caps: 121
Trophies: 19

A goalkeeper of immense stature and strength - but not short of agility - Schemichel was a truly daunting presence between the posts.

Intimidated by his sheer size, forwards often struggled to find a way past the great Dane, who inspired a generation with his trademark star jumps and powerful long throws.

Not only could he launch counter-attacks with a quick fling of the ball, and organise defenders by delivering ear-bashing instructions, he also found the net 10 times over the course of his career.

Integral to Manchester United’s dominance of English football in the 1990s - peaking with an historic treble triumph in 1999 - Schmeichel also starred for his nation.

Famously, Denmark defied the odds and won Euro '92 having initially failed to qualify, with their keeper's saves and peerless positioning helping to secure the trophy.

3. Manuel Neuer (Germany)

Years active: 20 (2005-)
Teams: Schalke 04, Bayern Munich
Career appearances: 648
International caps: 124
Trophies: 23

Defining the modern role of 'sweeper-keeper' with his work outside the box, Neuer has been one of the best stoppers this century - and perhaps the most influential.

Never afraid to take a risk, leaving his line has helped thwart countless opposition attacks, allowing both Bayern Munich and Germany to dominate and dictate the pattern of play.

His top triumph to date arrived at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, capping off a remarkable campaign for the Gelsenkirchen-born goalkeeper.

Neuer not only won the German Footballer of the Year award that season but was also selected in UEFA's Team of the Year, before finishing third in voting for the Ballon d'Or.

Still going strong despite suffering injury setbacks, he has also won the Champions League twice so far - in 2013 and 2020 - and soon after the latter success he was named IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Decade.

2. Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)

Years active: 20 (1950-1970)
Teams: Dynamo Moscow
Career appearances: 406 (official)
International caps: 74
Trophies: 9

Widely considered the very best stopper of the 20th century, Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or - an accolade he achieved in 1963.

'The Black Spider' starred for his country at four World Cups, with his most notable collective triumphs coming at the 1956 Olympics - where the Soviet Union won gold - and the inaugural European Championship four years later.

Over the course of two decades, Yashin spent his entire club career with Dynamo Moscow, winning the USSR championship five times and the Soviet Cup on three occasions.

Trophies aside, his shot-stopping heroics were world renowned: an imposing presence between the posts, he was highly regarded for his athleticism, agility and incredible reflexes.

At a time when keepers were all but glued to their line, he revolutionised the role by acting as an extra defender and starting quick counters, setting the tone for Neuer and co half a century later.

Yashin also saved 151 penalties and kept over 250 clean sheets - phenomenal stats that are reduced to mere footnotes in a remarkable career.

1. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

Years active: 28 (1995-2023)
Teams: Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain
Career appearances: 1,155
International caps: 176
Trophies: 29

A true bastion of longevity, Buffon played professional football for almost three decades, racking up more than 1,000 appearances - including a record-setting 176 for Italy.

Having made his Serie A debut as a teenager, memorably denying AC Milan's star-studded attack to earn a point for boyhood club Parma, 'Gigi' finally hung up his gloves in 2023, at the age of 45.

A key cog in his country’s 2006 World Cup win, he later helped Juventus claim eight straight Scudetti - reward for his loyalty after staying in Turin despite their enforced relegation to Serie B.

Following a brief sojourn in Paris - where the Champions League trophy continued to elude him - Buffon eventually rejoined Parma for the final two years of his career, which will always be remembered for its sustained excellence.

Agile and quick, with excellent positional sense, Buffon could draw gasps with acrobatic saves during his younger days, before adapting to a more calm and controlled style of play in later years.

An Italian icon and international star, he must be the world's greatest goalkeeper ever, all things considered.

Great goalkeepers who just missed out - honourable mentions

While the list of contenders for our list was long, a handful of men came closest to making it into the all-time top 10. They are surely worthy of an honourable mention.

Nicknamed 'The Iron Curtain', Rinat Dasayev was capped 91 times by the Soviet Union between 1979 and 1990, captaining his country to the Euro '88 final while drawing acclaim for his one-handed stops and long throws.

Pat Jennings was one of a select band to play for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, making over 400 appearances for the latter before representing the Gunners 237 times. Northern Ireland's greatest goalkeeper played his final international game at the 1986 World Cup on his 41st birthday.

With the most Premier League clean sheets to date - 202 from 443 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal - Petr Cech claimed every major trophy going. Commanding and complete, the 124-cap Czech stopper even continued to keep goal in England's ice hockey league post-retirement.

Gordon Banks memorably made 'the save of the century' in 1970, denying Pele with a reflex stop that will forever be etched in history. He had helped England win the World Cup four years earlier, representing the Three Lions 73 times in all.

One of the top custodians of the current generation, Alisson Becker is not only an adept sweeper-keeper in the modern style but also possesses cat-like reactions. A Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool, he was Brazil’s number one at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.