Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World: This is the 20th installment of a series in which I look at the greatest athletes to ever grace the field. This time, I'll be looking at football, specifically the top ten goalkeepers of all time! Enjoy!
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10. Bert Trautmann (GER)
Best Goalkeeper in The World: Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World
Trautmann had to contend not only with opposing strikers but also with endless taunts from the stands as a result of his service in the German army during WWII. He moved to England after the war and began playing football.
It speaks to the caliber of his performances that he was eventually accepted and even idolized by some fans, particularly those of Manchester City, where he became a legend.
9. Pat Jennings (NIR)
Pat Jennings, Northern Ireland's most capped player with 119 appearances, is one of only a few players to have played for and earned the respect of both Arsenal and Tottenham fans during his 22-year career.
Jennings has also won the FA Cup twice, the League Cup twice, and the UEFA Cup once, all with Tottenham Hotspur. In 1973, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year, and in 1976, he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year.
8. Gianluigi Buffon (ITA)
Best Goalkeeper in The World: Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World
By the end of his career, he could be in the top five, but for now, Buffon must settle for eighth. He moved to Juventus after impressing at Parma, where he demonstrated exceptional loyalty by remaining with the club when they were demoted to Serie B.
He has won the UEFA Cup, the Italian Cup, and two Serie A titles during his club career. His most notable accomplishments, however, have occurred at the international level, where he currently has 90 caps and is a World Cup winner.
7. Peter Shilton (ENG)
As a young Leicester player who had yet to prove himself at the highest level, he forced then England No. 1 and World Cup winner Gordon Banks out of the club by threatening to leave if he did not get game time. The club agreed because of his potential.
Shilton went on to have a 31-year career, appearing in 1005 league games and 1237 total games, more than any other player. He was 47 years old when he hung up his boots. Despite competition from the likes of Banks and Ray Clemence throughout his career, he played a record 125 times for England.
Shilton was a member of Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest team, winning one League title, one League Cup, and two European Cups. In 1978, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.
6. Oliver Kahn (GER)
Best Goalkeeper in The World: Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World
Oliver Kahn is one of Germany's most decorated players of all time, and it's no coincidence that he won trophies and accolades wherever he went. Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, six League Cups, a UEFA Cup, and a Champions League during his time at Bayern Munich.
The national team's winning streak continued. Among his 86 caps, he was a member of the Euro '96 winning squad. Individually, he has been named German Footballer of the Year twice, IFFHS Best Goalkeeper three times, and Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper seven times.
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5. Dino Zoff (ITA)
Zoff is the oldest World Cup winner, having done so at the age of 40 while still captain of the Italian team. In international tournaments, he once went 1142 minutes without conceding, a record that still stands today.
His 112 Italy caps rank third all-time and include victories in the 1968 European Championships as well as the previously mentioned 1982 World Cup. He won six Serie A titles, two Italian Cups, and one UEFA Cup during his career.
In an IFFHS poll, Zoff was named the third greatest goalkeeper of the twentieth century, and in 2003, he was named the best Italian player of the last 50 years.
4. Sepp Maier (GER)
Best Goalkeeper in The World: Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World
Maier, the third German goalkeeper on this list, was a one-club man who spent years alongside Franz Beckenbauer. Maier became one of the most decorated players of his era as a key member of this golden age for both Germany and Bayern Munich.
He won the Bundesliga and the German Cup four times each, as well as the Cup Winners' Cup and three European Cups in a row. His 95 international caps included a European Championships winner's medal (1972) as well as a World Cup winner's medal (1974).
3. Gordon Banks (ENG)
Banks' save against Pele in the 1970 World Cup will live on in infamy. Although his career was not filled with trophies, his quality was recognized as the best in the world at the time.
Banks has the distinction of being the only English goalkeeper to have ever won a World Cup. His career was cut short when he lost sight in his right eye as a result of a car accident. He tried again, but he was never the same player again.
He finished his career with 73 caps for his country and was voted the second-best goalkeeper of the twentieth century in an IFFHS poll.
2. Peter Schmeichel (DEN)
Best Goalkeeper in The World: Top Ten Best Goalkeepers in The World
The imposing figure of Peter Schmeichel between the posts was a key reason for Manchester United's dominance throughout the 1990s. Prior to that, he was a success at Brondby, where he helped the club win four league titles and the Danish Cup.
During the 1992 European Championships, his performances helped Denmark surprise everyone by winning the tournament. Schmeichel won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, and a Champions League title while at United.
1. Lev Yashin (USSR)
Lev Yashin, nicknamed the "Black Spider" because he appeared to have eight arms to save everything, was a fiercely passionate goalkeeper with amazing reflexes and jaw-dropping athleticism.
He was a one-club man, only playing for Dynamo Moscow. Yashin saved over 150 penalties and kept nearly 500 clean sheets during his career, which also included 74 caps for the USSR, a remarkable record for someone who played 812 games.
