The 10 Best Goalkeepers In The World Right Now How do the best goalkeepers in the world do what they do? The job of a goalkeeper isn't w...
The 10 Best Goalkeepers In The World Right Now
How do the best goalkeepers in the world do what they do? The job of a goalkeeper isn't what it used to be. These days, the No. 1 has to start moves as well as be the last line of defense.
People often say that having a solid goalie will win you a few points every season, and the players below are good examples of that. We ranked our goalkeepers based on how good they are at everything, not just their numbers. We also took into account how good they are in big games.
And this is the person we chose...
Ranked! The 10 best goalkeepers in the world right now
10. Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Critics will point out that Emi Martinez is not consistent enough to be called one of the best goalkeepers in the world because he scored an own goal against Arsenal and then went up the field for a corner. Even though these two situations aren't the best way to judge him, it's true that over a 38-game season, he may make mistakes that keep him from being the best.
But as a player in big games, he may be the best goalie in the world. We saw it for the first time when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020 before Martinez became a star in his home country of Argentina. The Copa America in 2021 put him on the world stage. Then, at the World Cup in Qatar, he got the award for Best Goalkeeper. Martinez hasn't had a bad season as a whole... But when you put him in the spotlight, he grows another six inches.
9. Andre Onana (Inter Milan)
Napoli is doing very well in Serie A, but Andre Onana may be the best goalie in the league. Inter Milan gives up more control than the league leaders and makes the third-fewest tackles in their own third. They rely heavily on the Cameroonian goalkeeper.
Since he moved to Italy from Ajax last summer, Onana has done very well. After being Samir Handanovic's backup at first, the 26-year-old has kept five clean sheets out of seven in the Champions League. He was even one of Inter's best players in their 2-0 home loss to Bayern Munich.
Onana is currently second in all of Europe's top five leagues for post-shot expected goals per shot on target, which shows how reliable he is as a shot-stopper. This is amazing since many people thought that the main reason to sign him was for his footwork. Even Onana trusts himself with the ball, which is why he was cut from Rigobert Song's World Cup team for taking too many risks with it.
8. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)
Keylor Navas was already a great goalie for Paris Saint-Germain, and Alphonse Areola was a good backup. Gianluigi Donnarumma, on the other hand, was always going to become the club's next big star and push them both out of the way.
The big Italian is ranked ninth in Europe for post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed. This means that he's saved five more goals than he should have, which is pretty damn good given that the players in front of him are always changing and that the Galactico frontline doesn't put much pressure on him. Gigi is also good with his feet, has good control of his box, and is already a world champion on the European level. All before he turned 25. He's only going to get better.
7. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Manuel Neuer probably won't play again this season, but it seems strange not to include him, right? He is still one of the best football players in the world, one of the best goalkeepers who has ever lived, and, amazingly, a statistical oddity.
Even this season, it's safe to say that Manny is the smallest keeper in Europe. His style is unique, and even though he's 36 years old and Father Time is getting closer, he's still a great shot-stopper and an amazing leader. If he's not on the team, Bayern has to buy another top goalkeeper to try to replace him. Great goalie. Bad skier.
6. Yann Sommer (Bayern Munich)
From one star of Bayern to the next. It might seem like Die Roten just buy the best Bundesliga player who isn't named Neuer, but Sommer might be better than Germany's No. 1 right now.
The Swiss goalkeeper is one of the most respected players in his position across Europe. He is third in the top five leagues for post-shot predicted goals minus goals allowed per 90 minutes. Statistically, he's one of the best, and the fact that he used to play for Borussia Monchengladbach has helped young players feel more at ease. When Neuer comes back, it will be interesting to see how these two play against each other.
5. Ederson (Manchester City)
Ederson could be the most important goalie in the Premier League since Petr Cech, but that's up for debate. When Pep Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo, keepers who played with the ball looked at him with bewilderment, not suspicion. It took Ederson's second try to really nail the job, but it's safe to say it was worth it, even though it took him a while.
There will always be people who don't really like the Brazilian, and in some ways, they have a point. The No. 1 goalkeeper for Manchester City is good at stopping shots, but he's mostly there for his work with the ball. He's always been reliable, though, so that's something to be said for him. Ederson has never felt like a weak link. He has done well for City whenever he has been asked to, and he has won the Premier League Golden Gloves the last three years in a row.
And his skill with his feet moves him up this list even more. He is an amazing football player, let alone a goalie.
4. Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Nick Pope isn't even England's best goalie, but he has been by far the best in the Premier League this season. Before getting a red card against Liverpool, Pope had given up only 15 goals, making him one of the best signings of the season.
Even though he has a great defense coming up, Pope has been great on his own. Even though he's been criticized in the past for being bad with his feet, he hasn't slowed down Newcastle United's build-up. In fact, he's second in all of Europe for defensive moves outside the penalty area, which shows how good he is at sweeping (except that one time against Liverpool).
A great goalkeeper who may not have gotten enough credit, it's nice to see him fighting for Europe this season instead of just staying in the Premier League.
3. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona)
This season, Barcelona has been almost perfect at home. Xavi has put together a team that once again plays like Barcelona, which means that they are strong on defense. Yes, it's in the club's DNA to be great at both going forward and defending.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen may not care much about the sport that made him famous, but he has only let in eight goals in the league this season. That is just crazy. Even though Barca's set-up is meant to keep the ball and limit chances, MATS is seventh in Europe for predicted goals after a shot minus goals allowed.
So, he has also stopped five more goals than he should have. He is doing a great job in a well-oiled machine.
2. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Thibaut Courtois himself said that he wasn't on this list because there wasn't enough "respect" for him. But the last year might have been the best of his career.
Courtois is still first in Europe for post-shot expected goals per shot on target, which shows how good he is at stopping shots. His passes and ability to get to shots have also gotten better as he has gotten older. He is also a star for both his team and his country, as shown by the way he played in the Champions League final last year.
It was one of the best saves any goalie has ever made in a big European game. The fact that the Belgian has become probably Real Madrid's second-most important player after Karim Benzema shows how special he is, and he deserves respect.
1. Alisson (Liverpool)
Alisson was seen by many as a goalie who would help Liverpool play out from the back. He has great passing range, and the Reds' forwards can attest to that based on how many goals their goalkeeper has started the offensive move.
But if goalkeeping can be generally divided into two parts: keeping the ball and stopping shots, Liverpool's goalkeeper is the best in the world at both. In one-on-one situations, Alisson is world-class, and his team is suffering in the middle of the table. He has been the classic shot-stopping hero this season, stopping nine more goals than he should have. And yet, his goal kicks are the fifth smallest in all of Europe.
Very rarely do these two measurements match up. Liverpool fans don't want to think about where their team would be in the table without the one player who has been good for them all season.