The best goalkeepers in the world used to be simple to define – but the position has evolved so much in the last decade or so.
30 years ago, custodians used to be the madmen and mavericks of your club, throwing themselves in front of shots and being the last line of defence. Well now, they're so much more: they're the first line of attack, another outfielder in buildup and the position has evolved to new heights.
It made deciding this list difficult to say the least – so let's get started with the best players in the world right now between the stick…
How FourFourTwo's expert panel decided the best goalkeepers in the world
FourFourTwo assembled an expert panel of our writers and team members, along with the likes of European football expert Julien Laurens, Breaking the Lines' chief editor Zach Lowy, freelance analyst/scout Ben Mattinson and co-founders of Scouted, Phil Costa and Tom Curren, for their rankings of the best players in the world in their opinion right now.
We asked our panel to assign a score of 10 points to their top-rated goalkeeper, down to one point to their 10th-placed keeper, compiling a total score for each; in addition to our experts' scores, we allotted scores to keepers based on statistics, such as goals conceded, Post-shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed per 90 minutes (PSxG - Goals Allowed/90) and percentage of crosses claimed.
In total, 38 goalkeepers were chosen longlist, with the top-rated receiving 140 points – our honourable mentions below contain the five highest-rated who didn't make the top 10, while all values are courtesy of Transfermarkt and correct as of June 2025.
Goalkeeper is one of 10 positions in which we have compiled a list of the best players in the world. We have split all outfielders into three subsections of positions under defence (right-backs, centre-backs and left-backs), midfield (defensive midfielders, central midfielders and attacking midfielders), and attack (right-wingers, left-wingers and strikers). If you're looking for the best goalkeeper gloves to buy, then we've got you covered – let's go!
The full list
10. Mile Svilar
Roma’s undisputed no.1, Mile Svilar is still a relative novice for a goalkeeper. At 25 years old, he still has several years left at the top of the goalkeeping game but he’s already making huge waves.
Across 38 Serie A games in the 2024/25 season, he conceded just 38 goals, kept 13 clean sheets and had a save percentage of 77 per cent for Roma who were revived under Claudio Ranieri. He's certainly come a long way since his high-profile mistake against Manchester United in the Champions League all those years ago.
9. Emiliano Martinez
Club: Aston Villa
Date of birth: September 2 1992 (32)
National team: Argentina
Value: €20.00m
Known for his incredible reflexes, commanding presence, and penalty-saving heroics, Emiliano Martinez stands tall as one of the world’s best goalkeepers of the modern era.
Rising to prominence with Aston Villa in the Premier League, he solidified his legacy by playing a pivotal role in Argentina’s 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup triumphs – and he's still one of the most reliable stars in the world when it comes to the biggest moments.
A master of mind games and reading opponents, particularly in high-pressure situations, his journey epitomises resilience and dedication, especially given that he was cast aside by Arsenal back in 2020.
8. Joan Garcia
One of the most sought-after players in the world in any position this summer, Arsenal may well kick themselves for missing out on the one who got away between the sticks, having agreed a deal for him last season.
The Gunners' loss is Barcelona's gain, with the future La Roja no.1 one of the most impressive goalkeepers in world football over the past 18 months.
Joan Garcia was a huge reason that Espanyol remained in La Liga, with the Parakeets no.1 showing the kind of presence and shot-stopping ability that has seen some liken him to Alisson, while his ball-playing ability is incredibly impressive, too.
A top mentality, top leader and a big game player. These types of goalkeepers win you games and titles.
Ben Mattinson
Garcia is set for the very top – and at just 23 years old, he's going to become a staple of this list for many years to come.
7. Mike Maignan
Rising through the competitive ranks of PSG, Mike Maignan had to break free from the French capital to get noticed: that he certainly did with Lille, attracting attention from Milan in 2021, where he was tasked with filling the sizeable gloves of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
In his first season, Maignan was a key component in Milan’s first Scudetto triumph in 11 years, establishing himself as the best in the league in terms of clean sheets and save percentage.
Maignan marshals his box like a protective parent
Isaac Stacey Stronge
The goalkeeper marshals his box like a protective parent and has extended that influence to the rest of his team-mates, having been handed the captain’s armband last winter.
Now France’s primary goalkeeper with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, and plenty of Premier League interest coming his way, the best chapters of Maignan’s career may still yet be unwritten.
6. Jan Oblak
Club: Atletico Madrid
Date of birth: January 7 1993 (32)
National team: Slovenia
Value: €20.00m
A mainstay in these sort of debates for a decade now, the Slovenian has been Diego Simeone’s rock at Atletico since 2014, offering consistency and longevity to his list of qualities that include speed, agility, fast reflexes, positioning and leadership – basically everything you want from a world-class goalkeeper.
Last summer also saw him become just the second goalkeeper (after Brazilian stopper Diego Alves) to save penalties from both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when he denied the latter during Slovenia’s Euro 2024 quarter-final exit to Portugal.
5. Yann Sommer
Club: Inter Milan
Date of birth: December 17 1988 (36)
National team: Switzerland
Value: €4.00m
A stalwart of the Bundesliga, making his name in eight solid seasons for the keyboard-hungry Borussia Monchengladbach, Sommer felt that at 34, the time had come for him to earn some silverware.
There are few better venues for such an aim than Bayern Munich, but it was an ill-fated expedition, not only for the backlash from Gladbach fans, but also on account of his stint lasting just months.
Nevertheless, there’s a reason for everything, with that turbulent chapter leading to Sommer’s move to Inter Milan. He won the Scudetto in his first season with the Nerazzurri, claiming the most clean sheets and the highest save percentage of any of his Serie A peers.
Now 36, he’s been something of a late bloomer, but he undoubtedly deserves to sit at Europe’s top table.
4. Thibaut Courtois
Club: Real Madrid
Date of birth: May 11 1992 (33)
National team: Belgium
Value: €30.00m
There’s a timeless feel to the career of Thibaut Courtois, a man who straddles different eras by dint of his seemingly endless consistency at the top level.
It feels a lifetime ago (over a decade, to be precise) that the Belgian clinched the Premier League with Chelsea in his first full season with the first team, keeping 13 clean sheets along the way, before repeating the feat in 2016/17.
At that point, he already had a La Liga title and a Europa League trophy to his name with Atletico Madrid, but it would be their arch rivals his name would become most closely connected to.
The definition of assurance between the sticks, the towering goalkeeper has won just about everything in front of him domestically, yet at 33 years old, he could still have years to go.
3. David Raya
Club: Arsenal
Date of birth: September 15 1995 (29)
National team: Spain
Value: €40.00m
Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal replaced a very capable goalkeeper with David Raya – who started shakily between the sticks.
Since those early days, however, the Spaniard has become one of the most reliable players in the Premier League, not just for his distribution and ability with his feet but a consistent ability to claim crosses and dominate his penalty area from set-pieces.
Last season, he added the clutch gene to his game with astonishing double-saves against Atalanta and Aston Villa being the highlights of his contibution in keeping Arsenal towards the top of the table. Signing him for around £30m now looks a steal, with his composure radiating through the Gunners’ defence.
2. Alisson Becker
Since Pepe Reina’s departure from Anfield in 2013, it never felt like Liverpool found his true replacement. Simon Mignolet? Not sure. Loris Karius? Hm…
And then he arrived in 2018, a gift from Roma in the form of Alisson Becker, if a £67m purchase can be considered a gift, that is. But the Brazilian proved worth every penny.
The Reds lifted the Champions League that year and followed it up with their long-awaited Premier League title a year later. The timing wasn’t a coincidence.
His combination of shot-stopping, leadership and on-the-ball abilities make him one of the best in the world, reducing another Premier League icon, Ederson, to a mere back-up goalkeeper for Brazil. At 32, he’s ageing like a fine wine, racking up a ridiculous nine saves to keep a clean sheet away at PSG in March: it's safe to call him an all-timer, now.
1. Gianluigi Donnarumma
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Date of birth: February 25 1999 (26)
National team: Italy
Value: €40.00m
Standing over 6ft 4in, Gianluigi Donnarumma is a daunting opponent for attackers, and that’s before he even attempts a save. But he has the shot-stopping ability to match, combining his sizeable frame with a surprising athletic streak to get his fingertips to the most unlikely of saves.
Recently, he's gone onto a new level, becoming the big-game hero to take PSG to the promised land.
Faced with penalties, as he was in the Champions League against Liverpool en route to Les Parisiens’ ultimate triumph, the net seems to shrink behind him. Just ask Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.
His undefeatable bravery, worn on his face in the form of a scar delivered by the boot of Monaco’s Wilfried Singo as the gloveman rushed out to claim a ball, only adds to the allure of a goalkeeper who strikes fear into the hearts of forwards every time he steps onto the pitch.
Honourable mentions
Honourable mentions
These five players only just missed out on a shot in our top 10…
FAQs
What makes a good goalkeeper?
A great goalkeeper combines sharp reflexes, excellent shot-stopping ability, strong command of their penalty area, good communication with defenders, and reliable distribution with their feet. Mental strength and composure under pressure are also crucial.
Which goalkeeper has scored the most goals?
That'll be Rogerio Ceni. The record for most goals scored by a goalkeeper is held by the Brazilian, with 129 goals.
Has a goalkeeper ever won the Ballon d'Or?
Yes: Lev Yashin. The Black Spider lifted the Ballon d'Or in 1963 and was nominated in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
Who is the greatest goalkeeper of all time?
It's a subjective question – but FourFourTwo ranked Manuel Neuer as the greatest goalkeeper ever in our list of the greatest players of all time. The German was ranked at no.24 on the list, two places higher than Soviet stopper, Lev Yashin. The likes of Gordon Banks and Peter Schmeichel also featured on the list.
Who is the most expensive goalkeeper of all time?
Alisson Becker holds the record for being the most expensive keeper of all time. The Brazilian became Liverpool's second-most-expensive player ever when he joined from Roma.
Who is the greatest Premier League goalkeeper ever?
It's a tough question but FourFourTwo ranked Peter Schmeichel no.17 in our list of the greatest Premier League players of all time ahead of Petr Cech at no.19 and Alisson at no.34.
