This article will tell you about the top 10 best goalkeepers in the world in 2023.
A superb custodian may often be the difference between a trophy-winning team and one that falls short in the hunt for silverware.
It is claimed that goalies must be insane to play between the pipes, and the job comes with a lot of pressure because mistakes they make frequently cost their team a goal.
Some of the most famous names in the game have adorned the goal – and we’re lucky to live in an era with world-class stoppers capable of picking out inch-perfect passes and launching attacking plays… but who is the best right now?
We’ve compiled a top ten based on long-term performance, with a dash of short-term form, trophy, league strength, and juicy numbers thrown in for good measure.
10. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
You’re probably thinking that this is a low ranking for one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, but the years are catching up with Manuel Neuer, and a broken leg suffered while skiing last December.
The World Cup, two Champions Leagues, ten Bundesligas, and five DFB-Pokals have all been won by the 36-year-old. Throughout his career, he’s been a cutlery machine.
Neuer has elevated the role of sweeper-keeper to new heights, with his defensive clearances instilling trust in the Bayern backline for more than a decade.
9. Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal)
You could believe my decision has a bit of a recency bias because Yassine Bounou was a standout for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, but those four weeks in Qatar were nothing out of the ordinary for him.
The Sevilla custodian was an integral part of the club that won the UEFA Europa League in 2019-20 and 2022-23, as well as preserving the most clean sheets in Europe’s top five divisions in 2021.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you that he belongs on this list, Bounou also earned the Zamora Trophy in the 2021/22 season for having the lowest goals-to-games ratio of any ‘keeper in La Liga.
8. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
Jan Oblak has elevated his game under the tutelage of Diego Simeone, a manager who has come to embody defensive, tenacious football.
Atletico Madrid’s style of play can divide fans, but Oblak can point to a La Liga title and a Europa League title as proof of Simeone’s methods and tactics. He has been the backbone of the team’s success for a number of years, as a fine reader of play with a real presence in the box.
The Slovenian goalkeeper has never played in a World Cup, but he has won numerous individual awards, including the Zamora Trophy five times and being second in the vote for the 2021 Yashin Trophy, the Ballon d’Or for goalkeepers.
7. Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Despite playing second fiddle to Hugo Lloris for the French national team until the Tottenham player retired earlier this year, we believe Mike Maignan has the upper hand due to his fast reactions.
The AC Milan custodian has more than filled the gloves of predecessor Gianluigi Donnarumma (more on him later) and played a vital role in the team’s 2021-2022 Serie A success and journey to the Champions League semi-finals last season.
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Last season, Maignan missed a number of games due to a calf injury, and it’s no wonder that the Rossoneri struggled defensively without their first choice between the sticks and lost the league title to Napoli.
6. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
In terms of the World Cup, Emiliano Martinez was awarded the Golden Glove following Argentina’s victory in Qatar, and his celebration with the trophy was one of the tournament’s most memorable moments.
After failing to establish himself in the Arsenal team, the Aston Villa custodian has made up for lost time by being crowned Player of the Season in his first season at Villa Park.
Martinez, 30, has given his best performances at the international level, with his penalty-saving exploits key to Argentina’s 2021 Copa América and subsequent World Cup triumphs.
5. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
In 2022-2023, the German had one of his best seasons at Barcelona, conceding only 18 goals in 38 La Liga matches while maintaining 26 clean sheets. Okay, because he plays behind a well-drilled defense, but more importantly, he outperformed his XG.
It’s easy to overlook Marc-Andre ter Stegen because he rarely starts for Germany, but he has a lengthy career that includes five La Ligas, five Copa del Reys, and a Champions League.
He’s been Barcelona’s first choice for the better part of eight seasons – a period that certainly feels longer due to the club’s recent off-the-field issues – but Ter Stegen is in his peak years and playing like it.
4. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been destined for greatness since making his debut at the age of 16 for his previous club AC Milan.
He made over 250 games in all competitions for the Rossoneri before a free transfer to PSG in the summer of 2021, where he won the first league title in his debut season.
When opposed to the ball-playing counterparts of the modern period, Donnarumma is a throwback to the old school goalies, and he used his frame to excellent purpose when stopping two penalties in the Euro 2020 final shootout against England to win the title for Italy for the first time since 1968.
3. Ederson (Manchester City)
Ederson is so talented with the ball at his feet that he could easily play in midfield for Manchester City alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
People arguably do the Brazilian a disservice by focusing on what he does with his feet rather than his hands, but he’s also a decent shot-stopper and cross-collector.
Ederson has been a regular in goal for Pep Guardiola’s club for the previous seven seasons, winning five Premier League titles and adding the Champions League to his trophy collection after maintaining a clean sheet in last season’s final against Inter.
2. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Belgium’s Golden Generation surely has repeatedly deceived, but Real Madrid fans are grateful to have such a dominant presence between the posts.
Courtois has won all of the big club championships, including his first Champions League in 2022 after a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool in the final – and he truly is the complete package with few faults to his game.
It feels like he’s been around forever, but Courtois is only 31 years old, so he should have plenty of years left at the top level, he will miss the majority of the 2023-2024 season due to an ACL injury.
1. Alisson (Liverpool)
He’s won the battle with Ederson for Brazil’s number one shirt, and he’s also won the personal duel with his City rival here.
Alisson is prone to errors – what custodian isn’t? – but he’s gained Liverpool far more points than he’s cost them over the years and was one of the final pieces in the jigsaw as the Reds won the Premier League in 2020.
The 30-year-old, who is dynamite with the ball at his feet and a superb shot-stopper, won the Yashin Trophy in 2019 and finished second in last year’s poll.
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His trophy cupboard is brimming with cutlery, having won the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League, and Copa America.
