The 8 best goalkeepers in the world in 2016

Every year FourFourTwo counts down the best 100 players in the world. Last year we named our top goalkeepers for 2015, as David de Gea was just pipped to the top spot. 

Without further ado, here's our selection of the best net-minders in the game for 2016…

8. Petr Cech (no. 99 in the FFT Top 100)

Last season, Arsenal's No.1 kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League goalkeeper (16), saved the third-most shots overall and had a higher save percentage than anyone else (76 per cent). Enough said.

7. Keylor Navas (83)

Quick off his line and excellent in one-on-one situations, Navas enjoyed another brilliant year between the sticks for European champions Real Madrid.

6. Hugo Lloris (81)

Tottenham and France may have fallen just short of glory in the Premier League and European Championship in 2016, but neither side would have got so close were it not for Lloris' contributions.

5. Thibaut Courtois (63)

Chelsea and their goalkeeper may have struggled last term, but Courtois remains one of the best around thanks to his shot-stopping skills and cat-like reflexes.

4. Jan Oblak (38)

Atletico Madrid possess one of the meanest defences in the world, with Oblak a key cog in Diego Simeone's machine. Already a superb all-rounder, there's still plenty of time for the 23-year-old to get even better.

3. Gianluigi Buffon (34)

The oldest player in the FFT 100, Buffon shows few signs of slowing down even at 38. 2016 saw the veteran Italian break a Serie A record by going 974 minutes without conceding a goal.

2. David de Gea (31)

De Gea was voted Manchester United's Player of the Year for the third consecutive season at the end of 2015/16. That may say something about the Red Devils' underwhelming campaign, but there's no doubt the Spaniard is among the world's best in his position.

1. Manuel Neuer (10)

Every manager on the planet would want Neuer - who has kept 28 clean sheets for Bayern Munich and Germany so far in 2016 - as his goalkeeper. Still the best.

FourFourTwo’s Best 100 Football Players in the World 2016

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).