In football, there are two sayings that never go out of style: 1. The midfielder wins. 2. A good goalkeeper tops half the team.
If you ask which position on the football field is the most important, it is undoubtedly the goalkeeper, and the weaker strength of other positions may be remedied by tactics, but if the goalkeeper is poor, it cannot be compensated for at all.
Let's take a look at the best goalkeepers in history.
Note: Players before the breakup of the country will not be counted
Europe
France
Fabian Batz
1971，182
The reaction in front of the goal is very fast, the attack is extremely decisive, the only drawback is that the state is very unstable, and there are many low-level mistakes. However, most of his low-level mistakes came from Manchester United, and he played very well for the French national team.
He represented France in 3 World Cups (98/02/06) and 2 European Championships (00/04), winning the World Cup in 1998 and Euro Championship in 2000.
His predecessor Bartz was lackluster except for the Great War of the Century with Brazil in '86, and his junior Lowry was not as good as him in the process of winning the World Cup, so Bartz was chosen as the first place.
Spain
Igor Casillas Fernández
1981，183
The world's top goalkeeper in the 21st century, who is less than 185 tall, is quick to react, super explosive, extremely flexible, and good at single knives (Luo Laohan: ... ）。 The weaknesses are that the hand shape is not standard enough, and the defensive high ball landing point is not accurate enough when setting the ball is set-piece.
Casillas made 167 appearances for the national team, keeping a total of 101 clean sheets. He represented the national team in 4 World Cups (02/06/10/14) and 3 European Cups (04/08/12), and won 10 World Cup titles and 08/12 European Championships.
England
Gordon Banks
1937-2019，183
Quick reflexes, excellent explosiveness, excellent flexibility, the disadvantage is that it is relatively slow to get to the ground, and Banks belongs to the goalkeeper who survives by reaction.
As a regular for England in 2 World Cups (66/70), the 1966 World Cup, Banks played the full 6 games as the main goalkeeper, in the era of goals, kept the first 4 clean sheets, and helped England win the Remet Cup on home soil.
Germany
Choose one of the three
Sepp Meyer
1944，183
Rapid reflexes and downfalls, strong body flexibility, excellent defensive high-altitude balls, and often god-level play in key matches of the competition, the disadvantage is poor ability to save penalties.
As the main goalkeeper, he represented West Germany in 3 World Cups (70/74/78) and 2 European Championships (72/76), and helped West Germany win the 74 World Cup and 72 Euros. He played well in the group stage of the 74 World Cup against Poland and the final against the Netherlands, making several dangerous saves.
Oliver Kahn
1969，188
Quick reaction, strong explosive power, excellent air defense, and a strong aura can greatly deter the opposing striker, the disadvantage is that the save speed is slower to the left and often loses the ball.
Kahn represented Germany in 1 World Cup (02) and 2 European Championships (00/04) as the main goalkeeper, and won the Ballon d'Or at the 02 World Cup (the only goalkeeper in history).
Manuel Neuer
1986，192
The best sweeper-type goalkeeper in history, the first in history in attacking ability, extremely quick to react in front of goal, but his defensive ability against the next three ways is relatively average.
He has represented Germany in 3 World Cups (10/14/18) and 3 European Championships (12/16/21) and helped Germany win 14 World Cups while winning the World Cup Best Goalkeeper award.
Which of the three of them is the first?
Italy
Choose one of the two
Dino Zoff
1942，185
Excellent position, quick response, excellent flexibility, the disadvantage is the lack of explosive power, facing the angle of long-range shots has become the background board many times (such as the 78 World Cup: Ali Khan, Nelinho).
He represented Italy in 3 World Cups (74/78/82) and 1 European Cup (80), and led Italy to the 82 World Cup as captain. A total of 115 appearances for the national team, setting a record of 1145 consecutive minutes without conceding goals, which no one has been able to break so far.
Gianluigi Buffon
1978，191
Whether it is position, reaction speed, attack, hand shape, stability, Buffon is perfect, and he is also the most comprehensive goalkeeper in history. The only downside is the poor ability to save penalties in penalty shootouts, especially in the 06 World Cup final, where all four penalties were saved in the wrong direction despite the victory. It is worth mentioning that Buffon has a strong ability to save penalties in regular time and has a high success rate.
He represented Italy in 4 World Cups (02/06/10/14), 4 European Championships (04/08/12/16), and helped Italy win the championship in the 06 World Cup.
Which of them is first?
Belgium
Choose one of the two
Jean-Marie Pfef
1953，180
Quick reflexes, explosive and flexible, fierce and good at saving penalties. The downside is height and reach, and sometimes it will be a little worse to save a corner.
Belgium represented Belgium in 2 World Cups (82/86) and 1 European Championship (80), reaching the last 4 of the 86 World Cup and finishing runner-up in Euro 80.
Thibaut Courtois
1992，199
Courtois is the template of a modern goalkeeper, almost 2 meters tall, extremely capable of defending high balls and extremely quick to react.
Represented Belgium in 2 World Cups (14/18) and achieved the all-time best result of third place in 18 World Cups, winning the World Cup Best Goalkeeper award. In the quarter-final win over Brazil, he made several threatening saves to help the team advance to the last four 2:1, and also represented Belgium in two European Championships (16/21).
Predholm is also very good, but who is the best goalkeeper in Belgium's history compared to them?
Portugal
Rui Patricio
1988，189
His prowess, responsiveness and excellent standing position allowed him to make a frequent comeback, representing Portugal in two World Cups (14/18) and three European Championships (12/16/21), and in the final of Euro 16, Patricio made seven saves to help his team beat host France 1-0 and win the tournament for the first time.
While his predecessors Baia and Ricardo were also excellent, Patricio alone in Euro 16 final was enough to secure Portugal's all-time number one goalkeeper position.
Denmark
Pyotr Bolesław Schmeichel
1963，192
He is quick in front of goal, extremely precise in throwing the ball, and very good at saving one-handed balls, but sometimes he stands a little forward and goes down slowly.
He was considered by many to be the first goalkeeper of the 90s, making 129 appearances for the national team, the most appearances in the history of the national team, participating in 4 European Championships (88/92/96/00) and 1 World Cup (98). And helped Denmark stage a fairytale miracle at Euro 1992 and win the championship.
His juniors were also good talents, such as Sorensen and his son Caspar Schmeichel, but they were clearly inferior to him in terms of achievement.
Netherlands
Edwin van der Sar
1970，197
Standing almost 2 metres tall, Van der Sar has an extremely long arm span, an excellent position and stable performance, and is also good at directing the defensive line. The weakness is that the save to the left is slow, and many times you can only watch the ball go into the net.
Van der Sar made 130 appearances for the national team and kept 72 clean sheets, played in 2 World Cups (98/06) and 4 European Championships (96/00/04/08) and was named in the best team for Euro 08.
Czech Republic
Pete Cech
1982，197
He is quick to react, has excellent standing and good anticipation, and was the world's No. 1 goalkeeper before he suffered a serious head injury.
He made 124 appearances for the national team and participated in 1 World Cup (06) and 3 European Championships (04/08/12). 04 European Cup played well to help the Czech Republic reach the last 4, and 08 European Cup group stage third round against Turkey made a fatal mistake that led to the team's exit. In terms of national team achievements, if you count the players before the collapse of Czechoslovakia, he is inferior to his predecessors Viktor and Schloyff. But after the independence of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 92, Cech was the undisputed number one goalkeeper in Czech history.
Russia
Igor Akinfeev
1986，185
Excellent goal-line technique, quick second reaction and good at saving penalties.
Akinfeev was selected for the national team at the age of 18 and was included in the Euro 04 squad as a substitute goalkeeper. The national team made 111 appearances and participated in 2 World Cups (14/18) and 3 European Championships (08/12/16) as the main goalkeeper. He played well against Spain in the 1/8 final of the 18 World Cup, making nine saves in a single game and saving penalties from Koke and Aspas in the penalty shootout to help the team advance to the last eight.
If you count the goalkeepers before the collapse of the Soviet Union, then I am afraid that every fan knows who the first goalkeeper in Soviet history is, and the second is not Akinfeev's turn. But according to the calculation after the disintegration, Russia's best goalkeeper is undoubtedly him.
Poland
Jan Tomasevsky
1948，193
A big goalkeeper rare in the 70s, he is tall, long-armed, quick to reflex, and good at using his body to save corners and single-handedly, and has a strong ability to save penalties. The weakness is that it is less flexible and not flexible enough.
Tomaszewski represented Poland in the 74 and 78 World Cups, saving penalties from Sweden's Taper and West Germany's Hornes in the 74 World Cup, becoming the only goalkeeper in history to save two penalties in a single regular time (the other being 02 Friedel), helping Poland to finish third in the 74 World Cup.
His juniors Dudek and Szczesny are also very good, surpassing Tomaszewski in their club career, but their achievements in the national team cannot be matched.
Sweden
Ronnie Helström
1949-2022，192
A typical power goalkeeper with excellent explosive power and quick reflexes, he often makes brilliant saves in the game. The 1974 and 1978 World Cups played well, but their teammates were mediocre and did not achieve too good results.
His juniors Lavelli and Isaacson are also very good, but the overall individual performance in the World Cup is still better than Herström.
Hungary
Yura Grosic
1926-2014，178
The earliest sweeper-type goalkeepers, although the goalline saving ability was not too outstanding, but the range of attack was greatly ahead of the contemporaries, often rushing out of the small box to tackle the siege. From 1952 to 1954, Hungary was the undisputed number one team in the world, while Grosic played in the main goalkeeper of the national team for 12 years from 1950 to 1962, participating in three World Cups (54/58/62).
Although his junior Kirai is also very good, his achievements are far inferior to Grosic.
South america
Brazil
Gilmar dos Santos Navas
1930-2013，181
Advantages: fast reaction in front of goal, excellent standing, excellent flexibility, standard hand shape, and strong penalty saving ability, overall stability and few mistakes. Weaknesses: Very few sorties, average explosive power.
He is a superhero of Brazil's consecutive 58 and 62 World Cups, playing in three World Cups (58/62/66) and keeping four consecutive clean sheets in the World Cup in the era of 5-6 goals per game in '58. After moving to Santos in '62, he helped the team win the Copa Libertadores two years in a row.
His juniors Leo, Tafarel and Alisson are also very good, but Leo and Alisson do not have World Cup titles, and Tafarel has many technical defects, so he cannot compete with Gilmar.
Argentina
Uvaldo Philor
1950，182
Philol is extremely quick in front of goal, extremely good at saving one-handed and penalty, and his ability to save dangerous balls is historic. The air supremacy ability is average, and the poor hand shape leads to frequent misses of long-range shots. Filol represented Argentina in three World Cups (74/78/82), in Argentina's 0-0 draw with Brazil in the second stage of the 78 World Cup, Filol made all three single saves, and made the ultimate save against the Netherlands in the final. Argentina were able to win the title, in addition to Kempes, who scored two goals in the final, and Passarella, the central defender, Filor.
His predecessor Carrizo was swept 6-1 by Czechoslovakia in the World Cup, and his junior Goyechea had too many technical shortcomings and lackluster performances except for penalty shootouts, Martinez did not have a World Cup result, so he could not compete with Philor.
Uruguay
Radislough Masukievic
1945-2013，179
Excellent physical flexibility, excellent positioning, the ultimate hand shape (not only does not get out of the hand, but also often directly receives the opponent's long-range shots), often launching powerful hand throwing attacks. The downside is that the bounce and explosive power are average, so difficult saves are rare.
Masukijevic participated in three World Cups (66/70/74) as a regular in the 1970 World Cup, and in the 1970 World Cup, Massuquijevic was named the best goalkeeper of the current World Cup for his outstanding performances, and compared to his predecessor Maspoli and his junior Muslera, Massuquijevic's status as the first goalkeeper in the history of the national team was recognized by most Uruguayan fans.
Colombia
David Ospina
1988，183
Quick reaction in front of goal, decisive attack, strong fish leap and save ability, good at saving single knives. However, due to his height, his ability to defend high balls is somewhat inadequate.
Ospina represented Colombia in two World Cups (14/18), and in the 2014 World Cup 1/8 final against Uruguay, Ospina made many wonderful saves to keep the goal, and finally Colombia defeated his opponent 2-0 to advance to the round of eight, the best record in World Cup history.
His fame is not as great as his predecessor Iquita, but his strength is stronger than Iquita.
Chile
Claudio Bravo
1983，184
He is good at saving high balls and penalties, and has outstanding ability to open big feet. As the main goalkeeper, he represented Chile in 2 World Cups (10/14), Chile won the 15 and 16 Copa America, Bravo was a great credit.
Paraguay
José Luis Chilavit
1965，189
He was quick to react in front of goal and had god-level free-kick footwork, but he was in good shape later and appeared very clumsy when making a save. In the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, he captained the team and reached the round of 16.
North America
Mexico
Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Margana
1985，185
His quick reflexes and super agility have allowed Ochoa to make many god-level saves in the World Cup, and his basic skills are not solid enough to prevent him from gaining a foothold in the big clubs.
As a regular in two World Cups (14/18), Ochoa made an extreme save against Brazil in the second group stage of the 2014 World Cup, rejecting Neymar's header and single-handedly helping Mexico hold the 0-0 score, and Ochoa became famous.
Mexico has always had no shortage of famous goalkeepers, such as Ochoa's predecessor "Flower Butterfly" Campos, but in terms of overall achievements, Ochoa is clearly the first goalkeeper in Mexican history.
United States
Timhy Matthew Howard
1979，189
Howard is extremely quick and often makes amazing magical saves, and when he is in good shape, he has a high success rate, but also often has low-level errors due to his neuroknife attributes.
He participated in two World Cups (10/14) as a regular player, reaching the round of 16 on both occasions. In the 1/8 final against Belgium in '14, although the United States lost 1-2 in the end, Howard made 16 saves in a single game set a World Cup all-time record for a goalkeeper to make a single save.
His two predecessors, Keller and Friedle, were also excellent, but taken together, Howard had surpassed them.
Costa Rica
Kylore Navas
1986，185
Solid basic skills and ultra-fast reaction speed have allowed him to often make god-level saves in competitions, and he has participated in two World Cups (14/18) as a main force. In the 2014 World Cup, Costa Rica was in a group with Italy, Uruguay and England, and Costa Rica was a strong opponent all the way to the last eight. In five matches, FIFA awarded Navas the best of the match in three matches, which shows his excellent performance.
While his predecessor, Conejo, also played well enough at the '90 World Cup, Navas undoubtedly far surpassed Conejo.
Africa
Senegal
Edward Ozok Mendy
1992，198
His height and long arms make him largely immune to high-altitude balls and long-range shots, and his quick reflexes and agility also allow him to make good saves often. It remains to be seen how he helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and represent Senegal at the World Cup at the end of 2022 as the main goalkeeper.
Nigeria
Vincent Nyeyama
1982，182
Nyeama's technical characteristics typically reflect the strengths of black African goalkeepers: quick reflexes, agility and explosiveness.
Nyeama made 101 appearances for the national team, and in the third group stage of the 2002 World Cup, the 20-year-old played the full game against England after an early exit, and played brilliantly to keep the goal intact. In the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, Nyeama played all the matches as a regular and helped Nigeria reach the round of 14 in the round of 16 in the 14th World Cup.
Cameroon
Thomas Nkono
1955，183
He was Buffon's idol and represented Cameroon in the 1982 and 1990 World Cups as a main goalkeeper, with Nconno playing very well in both World Cups, 90 of which helped Cameroon reach the last eight.
His junior Kameni is also very good, but at the national team level, there is still a gap with master Nkono.
Asia
Japan
Kawaguchi Nokatsu
1975，179
Explosive, agile, extremely good at saving dangerous balls and penalties, the disadvantage is a nerve knife, unstable play. Kawaguchi has been a regular in the national team since the '98 World Cup, making 117 appearances for the national team, participating in two World Cups (98/06) as a regular and winning two Asian Cup titles (00/04).
His junior Kawashima Eiji is also very good, but his overall achievements are still slightly worse than Kawaguchi Noshi.
Korea
Li Yun is in
1973，183
He has solid basic skills, good at saving high and low balls, rarely makes mistakes, and is especially good at saving penalties (he only lost the 07 Asian Cup against Iraq in his entire career penalty shootout). He made 132 appearances for the national team and participated in 2 World Cups as a regular (02/06). In the 02 World Cup, South Korea reached the top 4, although the referee's favoritism in the process was greatly controversial, but it is undeniable that Li Yunzai played very well.
In the 18 World Cup South Korea 2:0 Germany match, Cho Hyun-woo played better than any of Li Yunzai's games in a single game, but this one alone was not enough for him to surpass Li Yunzai.
Saudi
Mohammed Al Daiyayerya
1972，187
Known as the "Asian Spider" and recognized as Asia's No. 1 goalkeeper in the late 90s, Dayayaya had a lot of mistakes. Daiyaya has made 181 appearances for Saudi Arabia, participated in four World Cups (94/98/02/06), and won the Asian Cup in '96. In the group stage of the '94 World Cup against Morocco, Daiyayea played well, making several threatening saves to ensure a 2-1 victory. However, in the later period, Daiyaya also had a lot of black history, such as the 0:8 defeat to Germany in 02, and Daiyaya became the "regent".
After Daiyayea withdrew from the national team, none of the subsequent Saudi goalkeepers reached his heights.
Iran
Alireza Belanwand
1992，194
Tall, agile, quick to react, and unique hand throwing skills, once set a Guinness World Record for hand throwing 61.26 meters, known as the "unicorn arm". The 2018 World Cup Bellanvand played well, saving Ronaldo's key penalty in the third round of the group stage.
In terms of skills and achievements, Belanvand has clearly surpassed his predecessors Mirzapur and Hajiji.
Iraq
Nur Sabri
1984，184
Extremely quick reaction, good standing, good at saving penalties, body flexibility is relatively average. Sabri participated in the '04 Olympics as the main goalkeeper and finished 4th, and in '07 he miraculously won the Asian Cup with Younis, Akram and others. From 2004 to 2013, Sabri occupied the main position of the national team for most of the time. In the semi-final of the 07 Asian Cup against South Korea, Sabri made several threatening saves and saved the penalty kicks of Lim Ki-hoon and Kim Jong-woo in the penalty shootout to help the team advance to the final.
Sabri's role as the number one goalkeeper in Iraqi history is undisputed, and Iraq doesn't even have any goalkeeper other than him.
China
Gangjin
1968，198
Goalline technique is excellent, playing relatively consistently, good at saving penalties. The disadvantage is that the body explosiveness and bouncing ability are poor, and it is not good at sorties.
China's No. 1 goalkeeper, in fact, from a technical point of view and high-light play, I am more inclined to Zeng Cheng, but Jiang Jin is the only goalkeeper who participated in the World Cup, and it is more reasonable to be rated first.
Jordan
Amir Shafi
1982，185
He is the undisputed number one goalkeeper in Jordanian history and the first man in the entire history of Jordanian football. In the 06 World Cup Qualifiers Asian Top 20 away against Iran, Shafi saved the threatening shots of Daei, Karimi, Madavecchia and others again and again, and finally Jordan defeated the strong opponent 1:0. In the 04 Asian Cup against South Korea, Shafi blocked all South Korean shots and single-handedly saved Jordan a 0-0 draw. From 2004 to 2021, Shafi played a total of 176 games in the 17 years of the national team, making an immortal achievement.
Oman
Ali Al Habsi
1981，191
If Asia's all-time best goalkeeper is chosen, Habsi is a strong contender to play in the Premier League for many years. Habsi is extremely good at saving penalties, having a 50% penalty saving success rate during his time at Wigan Athletic, saving penalties from van Persie, Tevez, Hernandez, Arteta and others.
He is not only the first goalkeeper in Omani history, but also a unique presence among players in the entire history of Omani football.
Oceania
Australia
Mark Schwarzer
1972，196
High ball control, reasonable positioning, good penalty, although there are few stunning saves, but the steady play and very few mistakes have allowed Schwarzer to occupy the main goalkeeper position of the national team for 19 years.
Schwarzer participated in 2 World Cups as the main force (06/10), Australia lost to Argentina, Iran and Uruguay in the three World Preliminary Round play-offs in 94/98/02, and met Uruguay again in the 06 World Preliminary Play-offs, Schwarzer made a number of wonderful saves in the first leg to ensure that Australia lost only 0:1 away, returned to home Australia to win 1:0, in the subsequent penalty shootout, Schwarzer saved the penalties of Rodriguez and Sarayeta, He helped Australia return to the World Cup after 32 years and eventually reach the round of 16.
His junior, Ryan, is also very good, but so far the overall achievement has not surpassed Schwarzer.