The 25 best goalkeepers in world football - ranked

Look, compiling a list of the 25 best players in any position is really difficult.

But it's a whole lot of fun and stirs debate - and that's what football's about, right?

One of the hardest to judge, weirdly, is who the best goalkeepers in the game are. It's not all about shot-stopping now, with distribution, the ability to mop up behind a high line and extreme levels of composure a key component in every keeper's game.

You also have to demonstrate consistency, week in, week out, such is the calibre of attacking players now operating around the world. Here's 90min's current top 25 deemed the best in the business.

25. Yahia Fofana

Ligue 1's 15-minute weekly round-ups are well worth a watch on YouTube if you fancy a fairly brief overview of the ongoings in France.

This division is a cesspit for young talent, and there's a 24-year-old goalkeeper plying his trade for Angers who has a chance of developing into one of Europe's most sought-after goalkeepers.

Angers are in the relegation scrap, but they'd be in a far worse position if it wasn't for Fofana, whose shot-stopping statistics are off the charts this season. Standing at almost 2m tall, the Ivorian international is imposing off his line, an excellent claimer of crosses, and a sound distributor over various distances.

24. Dean Henderson

Dean Henderson has endured an up-and-down senior career, with early promise shown at Sheffield United beginning to fade.

Questions arose as to whether the Englishman was any good at all, but the former Manchester United keeper has answered a few critics with the season he's enjoyed at Crystal Palace.

Henderson ranks among the most efficient shot-stoppers in the Premier League this term, and many now regard him as England's number two.

23. Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Razor-sharp reflexes, wrists like steel, distribution like Andrea Pirlo and a really cool name. These are just a few of the things that once made Marc-Andre ter Stegen one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

The German took home the 2022/23 Zamora Trophy, but his form has dipped drastically since with a couple of injuries seemingly taking their toll. Ter Stegen is hesitant off his line and a committer of frequent errors.

He's not the goalkeeper he once was, unfortunately.

22. Joan Garcia

Arsenal are keeping a watchful eye on Espanyol's Joan Garcia, but it's likely that another goalkeeping soap opera will develop in north London should the Spaniard join the Gunners.

David Raya is one of the world's best, but he'll be threatened by his younger compatriot who's enjoyed an excellent season at Espanyol.

This is Garcia's first proper season at the highest level, but he's taken to La Liga like a duck to water. He loves being busy, excelling as a shot-stopper, but Garcia is also an astute claimer of the high ball and a decent-enough sweeper.

21. Andre Onana

A year out of the game for a drugs ban was tough for Andre Onana but he quickly established himself ahead of Samir Handanovic at Inter and became one of the best goalies around.

His move to Manchester United was deserved, but the adaptation period was tough and some high-profile mistakes damaged public opinion of the Cameroonian.

Onana has enjoyed some bright spells in Manchester, but he's yet to totally convince and some believe the Red Devils could make another upgrade between the posts in the near future.

20. Giorgi Mamardashvili

Giorgi Mamardashvili is a name which popped up quite a bit over the summer of 2023, with the goalkeeper linked with basically every club in Europe at some point.

The Georgian has earned a move to one of Europe's elite off the back of an outstanding Euro 2024 campaign with minnows Georgia, as Liverpool made their move before opting to loan the young goalkeeper back to Valencia.

Mamardashvili is an imposing stopper with incredible hands, but improvement is required in possession for him to develop into one of the world's very best.

19. Jordan Pickford

Despite spending much of his Premier League career as a meme, Jordan Pickford has undergone quite the redemption arc in recent years.

He's quietly become more reliable and remains as useful as ever in possession, while he was one of the top players at Euro 2020 and would have become a national hero had that final shootout ended in an England win. There wasn't much he could do to deny Spain Euro 2024 glory as he enjoyed another successful individual tournament.

Everton have flirted with relegation from the Premier League in recent times but Pickford has consistently dragged the Toffees away from danger.

18. Unai Simon

Unai Simon is a reliable shot-stopper and cultured operator in possession who doesn't concede many in La Liga. Only Real Madrid (26) conceded fewer goals than Athletic Club (37) in the Spanish top flight in 2023/24.

However, it's on the international stage where Simon has sparkled, making key saves en route to 2022/23 UEFA Nations League and Euro 2024 success with Spain. David Raya is a fierce competitor for minutes between the sticks, though.

17. Diogo Costa

A graduate of Porto's academy, Diogo Costa has been one of the most talked about goalkeepers in Europe for quite a while - and for good reason.

Costa is the archetypal modern-day goalkeeper and will surely be the number one for one of the biggest clubs in Europe very, very soon.

Some penalty shootout heroics at Euro 2024 have also boosted his standing among the continent's best goalkeepers, even if he still has an error in his locker.

16. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

It was Sergej this, Sergej that for so many years, but perhaps Vanja was the superior Milinkovic-Savic brother all along?!

Okay, that may a slight exaggeration, but while the midfielder is now earning a bag away from mainstream prominence in the Saudi Pro League, Vanja has blossomed into one of Serie A's best goalkeepers.

The Serbian stalwart is a ruthless shot-stopper who has a penchant for saving penalties. At the end of January 2025, he'd recorded his 17th home clean sheet for Torino since the start of the 2023/25 campaign - the most out of any goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues.

15. Lucas Chevalier

Lucas Chevalier is one of the highest-rated young goalkeepers in Europe and he will ascend this ranking if he continues on his current trajectory.

The Frenchman is already starring for Lille on the big stage and is likely to have Europe's elite lining up at his door sooner rather than later.

Chevalier has already played plenty of football at his young age, but he's not yet the finished article.

14. Matz Sels

Nottingham Forest has struggled for continuity between the sticks after returning to the Premier League, with the likes of Henderson and Keylor Navas earning minutes as the club's number one.

Forest's £5m addition of Matz Sels at the end of the 2024 January transfer window wasn't regarded as a revolutionary bit of business, but the experienced Belgian has proven to be one of the smartest transfers of Evangelos Marinakis' reign.

The 33-year-old has an imposing backline ahead of him, but Sels' role in Forest's rise this season can't be overlooked. He's a serene presence between the sticks who rarely makes mistakes.

While Belgian number one status is unlikely with Thibaut Courtois returning to the fold, Sels in on course to claim the Premier League's Golden Glove award.

13. Guglielmo Vicario

Italian goalie Guglielmo Vicario has done things the hard way throughout his playing career but a fine season with Empoli earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of 2023/24.

He has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting goalkeepers in Europe, producing some incredible saves when his team are under the cosh. Vicario's reflexes are remarkable, but he has shown some vulnerabilities to the high ball.

Still, Spurs desperately missed him while he nursed a broken ankle over the winter.

12. Yann Sommer

Yann Sommer's move to Inter didn't really raise many eyebrows, because it was Andre Onana's sale to Man Utd that grabbed the headlines.

Now in the twilight of his career, Sommer has been superb for Inter and has been a very smart pickup. He won't be a long-term option in goal, but the Nerazzurri certainly don't regret signing the Switzerland international.

The veteran will be aiming to add to the Serie A title he collected last season.

11. Michele Di Gregorio

Another excellent Italian goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio was a product of Inter's academy.

But after failing to get an opportunity at San Siro, he knew a move was needed in order to forge his way towards the top of the game. At Monza, Di Gregorio's consistency saw him earn plenty of plaudits and a move to one of calcio's big boys was inevitable.

Thiago Motta identified the young shot-stopper as a key part of his project in Turin and Di Gregorio moved to Juventus in the summer. Motta has since got the sack, but the goalkeeper will be sticking around for the long haul.

10. Gianluigi Donnarumma

After leaving boyhood club Milan for Paris Saint-Germain, Gianluigi Donnarumma's future looked to be carved out. He finally usurped Keylor Navas as PSG's undisputed starter and was a key part of the Azzurri team that won Euro 2020, being named Player of the Tournament.

Some poor years have followed, filled with one too many gaffes, but Donnarumma still starts for PSG and Italy and deserves respect for it.

He's the Gianluigi Buffon regen Italians once regarded him to be, but the towering goalkeeper is capable of producing the spectacular and he's shown signs of ironing out his most distinct flaws.

9. Mike Maignan

Milan had a huge goalkeeper-shaped hole to fill when Donnarumma departed, but many will argue the Rossoneri upgraded on the once-loved Italian. Maignan's impact at San Siro was immediate as Milan claimed the 2021/22 Scudetto off the back of a sound defensive performance.

The France international has been widely renowned as the best goalkeeper in Serie A and his stock rose worldwide as a result. He faces future competition from Chevalier at international level, with a dip in form this term closing the gap between the pair.

8. Manuel Neuer

Manuel Neuer played a big role in the reinvention of the modern goalkeeper and remains one of the very best sweeper-keepers in the business today.

He's only got a few years left and a skiing injury saw him ruled out of the end of the 2022/23 season and much of 2023/24. It's clear his powers will only wane from this point rather than grow, but he remains one of the best around for now.

7. Jan Oblak

There are times when watching five-time Zamora Trophy winner Jan Oblak when you might genuinely believe he has the power to attract the ball towards his hands. It's like his gloves have their own gravitational pull.

He did experience something of a dip in form several seasons ago but is back to his best these days, continuing to thrive under Diego Simeone's tutelage.

6. Ederson

When Pep Guardiola made a cheeky remark about Ederson being the best penalty-taker at Manchester City everyone believed him - such is the technical ability of the Brazilian stopper.

2022/23 saw the Brazilian rise to the occasion in the Champions League, making heroic stops against Real Madrid and Inter as City won the tournament for the first time ever.

He's no one-on-one specialist but his form has been consistent for quite some time as he continues to defy belief with his exceptional distribution.

5. Gregor Kobel

Gregor Kobel's path to the Switzerland starting team had been blocked by the presence of Sommer, but the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper has recently emerged as his country's number one.

The BVB star has cat-like reflexes, having honed his skills during previous stints with Augsburg and Stuttgart, and played a pivotal role in his club's run to the 2023/24 Champions League final.

He's the best goalkeeper you don't know all that much about.

4. Emiliano Martinez

What a ride it's been for Emiliano Martinez.

The Argentinian moved to Aston Villa after a few months in the spotlight at Arsenal and has since proven he's really, really bloody good.

So good, in fact, that he's become Argentina's number one, played a big role in their World Cup and Copa America triumphs and earned Lionel Messi's respect with his s***house antics.

He is now a two-time Yashin Trophy winner, too. Not bad, eh?

3. David Raya

David Raya turned himself into one of the Premier League's top shot-stoppers and his role as a playmaker at the back led Arsenal to sign him from Brentford.

The Spain international took Aaron Ramsdale's place at the Emirates Stadium and while errors did dog his early days in north London, Raya leant on the heroics of an excellent backline to win the 2023/24 Premier League Golden Glove.

Raya has developed into one of the Gunners' standout performers and has bailed out Mikel Arteta's side on several occasions. He's improved tremendously in a short space of time and has to be regarded as one of the world's best right now.

2. Alisson Becker

When Liverpool spent nearly £70m on Alisson back in 2018, social media was awash with jibes from rival fans questioning the size of the fee. But they're not laughing now.

The Brazilian has proved to be a game-changing upgrade at Anfield, perfectly straddling the attributes of both a sweeper-keeper and traditional stopper.

He's also played his part in Liverpool becoming Premier League, European and world champions in recent seasons.

1. Thibaut Courtois

After a shaky opening at Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois has been in exemplary form to convince any remaining doubters of his ability.

Courtois' long limbs and excellent shot-stopping ability have saved Los Blancos on a fair few occasions in recent seasons - including the 2022 Champions League final - and he also scooped the Zamora Trophy in 2020.

The Belgian missed much of 2023/24 after tearing his ACL, but Carlo Ancelotti didn't hesitate in immediately welcoming Courtois to the fold despite the stellar performances of Lunin in his place. Courtois kept a clean sheet as Madrid claimed their 15th European title.

He's the best in the business, and he'll be crucial in Madrid's hopes of securing yet another Champions League crown this term.

READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL