10 Best Goalkeepers in the World

A good goalkeeper can mean the difference between
success and failure for a team. Here is a look at 10 of the
best goalkeepers in the world.

1. Manuel Neuer (Germany & Bayern Munich)
An excellent 2010/11 season for
Schalke prompted Bayern
Munich to splurge a reported US
$26 million on the player, with
another $10 million dependant
on performances. Many Bayern
supporters felt that the club had
overspent on a player whose
contract was due to expire in
2012, when he would have been
available for free. Neuer,
though, has silenced his critics
and was the best goalkeeper at the 2014 World Cup as
Germany won the tournament for the first time since
1990.

2. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium & Chelsea)
Courtois plays with confidence
beyond his tender years and
pulled off some truly
remarkable saves after joining
Atletico Madrid on loan from
Chelsea in 2012. Injury
permitting, Courtois will be one
of the very best goalkeepers in
the world for the next 10 or 15
years and was key to the
Spanish outfit winning their first
La Liga title since 1996. The Belgian returned to
Stamford Bridge after that 2014 title win.

3. Hugo Lloris (France & Tottenham Hotspur)
Boasting a long reach and
superb reflexes, France captain
Lloris is capable of keeping
strikers at bay when his team
are firmly under the cosh.
Previously at Nice and Lyon, he
was signed by Tottenham in
August 2012 as they looked for a
long-term option between the posts. Must improve his
decision making but an undisputed first choice for club
and country.

4. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy & Juventus)
A World Cup winner in 2006,
Buffon is considered by many
observers as the best goalkeeper
of the last decade alongside
Casillas. The Juventus custodian
has few weaknesses and
remains the most expensive
goalkeeper in the world
following his 2001 move from
Parma to Juve. Now well into
his 30s, injuries may be taking their toll on Buffon, but
he remains an important presence for club and country.

5. Petr Cech (Czech Republic & Chelsea)
Since arriving at Chelsea from
Rennes in 2004, Cech has been a
model of consistency, rarely
making errors and helping the
club to three Premier League
titles and a Champions League.
He recovered from a fractured
skull sustained in a controversial challenge by Reading's
Stephen Hunt in 2006. Before being displaced by
Courtois, Cech instilled confidence in what was a solid
Chelsea defense, and although he may have had fewer
saves to make than many goalkeepers, it was a sign of
his class and extreme concentration that he was rarely
found wanting when called upon. A busier figure on the
international stage.

6. Iker Casillas (Spain & Real Madrid)
'Saint Iker,' as he is known at
Real Madrid, was dropped for
much of the 2012-13 and
2013-14 seasons but remains a
club legend, having come
through the youth system.
Casillas has often had the
misfortune of having an
inadequate defense in front of
him as Real have focused on assembling a fearsome
attack, only to neglect the backline. But this simply
meant he was able to showcase his skills to an even
greater extent, bailing out his defense time and time
again, putting his body on the line and making
spectacular saves when the opposition looked odds-on to
score. One of a kind.

7. Joe Hart (England & Manchester City)
A superb shot-stopper possessed
with calmness and authority,
Hart made a huge contribution
to Manchester City's title win in
2012. He initially made few
mistakes after breaking onto the
scene in a loan spell with
Birmingham, and then returning
to City. However, the 2012-13 and 13-14 seasons will not
be remembered as the best of Hart's career, and despite
his numerous strengths, the England goalkeeper needs to
improve his handling and minimize errors that have
proved costly for club and country.

8. David De Gea (Spain & Manchester United)
The Spaniard initially struggled
with the lifestyle change after
his big money move from
Atletico Madrid, but credits
increased confidence, training
well and a more positive outlook
for a drastic improvement over
the last two seasons. One of the
best shot-stoppers in the business, De Gea now
commands his area with far more authority and has also
cut out the errors that were costing United in his early
days at the club.

9. Victor Valdes (Spain)
There is a case for arguing that
if the former Barcelona
custodian was any other
nationality, he would be his
country’s number one. But
Valdes has had the misfortune
of being in his prime at the
same time as Casillas, who has
held the Spain jersey for over a decade. Valdes is Barca’s
most successful goalkeeper, having won six La Liga titles
and three Champions Leagues with the club. The former
Tenerife youth player is terrific in one-on-one situations.
He left Barca in 2014.

10. Samir Handanovic (Slovenia & Inter Milan)
The 6ft 5in stopper left Udinese
for Inter Milan in July 2012 after
establishing himself as one of
the best goalkeepers in Serie A .
Conceding just four goals in 10
2010 World Cup qualifying
matches, Handanovic helps form
the spine of the Slovenia team,
with his agility and penalty-saving prowess both valuable
assets.