Which goalkeepers have won the World Cup Golden Glove award?

Inspired by the stories of iconic World Cup goalkeepers such as Gordon Banks, Dino Zoff, Gylmar and the legendary Lev Yashin, FIFA created the Golden Glove in 1994 to honour and recognise outstanding performances between the sticks. Since then, eight different players have taken home the award, three of whom did not win the World Cup itself.

Here, Sports Mole provides a rundown of every goalkeeper to have earned the prestigious honour of being named the best goalkeeper at a World Cup tournament.

Michel Preud'homme (Belgium) – 1994

In the award's inaugural edition, the same tournament in which Brazil claimed their fourth world title, Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud'homme took home the prize. This result stirred some controversy given the extraordinary performances of the legendary Taffarel. By FIFA's criteria, the four matches Preud'homme played for Belgium, packed with big saves and two clean sheets, were deemed sufficient to earn him the honour, despite the modest campaign that ended at the last 16.

By comparison, Taffarel conceded just three goals throughout the entire tournament, saved a crucial penalty in the final against Italy, and shared the spotlight of that triumph with none other than Romário.

Fabien Barthez (France) – 1998

A tormentor of Brazil in 1998, Fabien Barthez is one of the most compelling goalkeepers in World Cup history. In the tournament that delivered France's maiden title, Barthez was decisive for a side built around the brilliance of Zinedine Zidane.

Across the seven matches that culminated in the World title, Barthez kept five clean sheets and saved Demetrio Albertini's penalty in the quarter-final against Italy. Once again, he edged out a heroic Taffarel, who had another exceptional tournament, in the race for the Golden Glove.

Oliver Kahn (Germany) – 2002

The 2002 World Cup, Brazil's last title, was another edition in which the champion's goalkeeper was not named the tournament's best. Despite the brilliance of Marcos, whose saves proved decisive in the knockout rounds, Oliver Kahn was in a class of his own. Appearing in his third World Cup, the German was the undisputed standout performer of that tournament, despite his error in the final against Ronaldo.

Worth noting is that at the time, individual awards were voted on before the final itself, and, beyond the Golden Glove, Kahn was also named player of the tournament.

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) – 2006

Considered by many the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Gianluigi Buffon had the chance to add the ultimate crowning achievement to his career with Italy in 2006. Appearing in his third World Cup, Buffon led a defensive unit of the highest calibre, one that was breached just twice throughout the competition. Although he did not save a penalty in the final, the Italian icon produced one of the tournament's defining images when he made a breathtaking save to deny Zidane's header.

Iker Casillas (Spain) – 2010

The captain of Spain's one and only world title, Iker Casillas, was a cornerstone of a squad brimming with talent; Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez among them. In his third World Cup, the Real Madrid icon shone brightly, keeping five clean sheets in seven matches on the way to glory, and etching himself into the tournament's memory with a remarkable feet-save to deny Arjen Robben in the final. He was duly voted the best goalkeeper of the edition.

Manuel Neuer (Germany) – 2014

Twelve years after Germany's previous World Cup final, Manuel Neuer stepped into the role of talisman, much as Oliver Kahn had in 2002, but this time with a happy ending. At the absolute peak of his powers, not merely in goal but also as a pioneer of sweeper-keeper play, Neuer was widely credited as a driving force behind Germany's fourth world championship. He went on to be regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of any generation. A colossus who shut out Lionel Messi and company in the historic final at the Maracana.

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) – 2018

The last goalkeeper to win the Golden Glove without claiming the World Cup title was Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian was one of the standout figures of his side's run to third place, producing a string of vital saves - most notably in the bruising quarter-final against Brazil. His performances thrust him into the global spotlight, and Real Madrid duly moved to sign him in the weeks that followed the tournament.

Emiliano Martinez (Argentina) – 2022

Perhaps the least heralded name on this select list when the tournament began, Emiliano Martinez became one of the defining characters of Argentina's long-awaited return to world football's summit.

Known for his combative and provocative personality, Dibu was decisive in penalty shootouts against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and France in the final, contributing three crucial saves. The Aston Villa stopper also produced the save of the tournament, an acrobatic stop from Kolo Muani in the dying moments of extra time that kept Argentina alive in the final.