The choice of the individual to man the sticks and don the number one shirt of a team is usually done with care, and expectedly so, because the goalkeeping position is one that is very delicate.
A goalkeeping performance can win a game or lose as one, and defining moment from the man in gloves can prove to be the difference.
Therefore, teams have now known better to spend huge amounts of money on recruiting goalkeepers, and similarly, playing as a goalkeeper has gone beyond making saves with hands.
Goalkeepers are now demanded to be good on their feet hence the rise of ball-playing goalkeepers.
Nevertheless, goalkeepers who are outstanding with their hands are still regarded with high respect, and so in this article, we take a look at the top 10 best goalkeepers in the world currently.
Top 10 Goalkeepers in The World 2023
Below is our list of the best goalkeepers in the world 2023. It is based on their quality, performances and achievements.
10. Jan Oblak
Country: Slovenia
Club: Atletico Madrid
Any day any time, Jan Oblak would always be considered one of the best goalkeepers around the world.
The Slovenian shot-stopper has essentially, over the last couple of seasons, shown immense quality in between the sticks.
Atletico Madrid didn’t have the best of seasons in the 2021/2022 season as they relinquished their title to City rivals, but he has so far justified why he is La Liga’s most expensive goalkeeper.
He has won five Ricardo Zamora trophies since joining in 2014, sharing the record with Victor Valdes and Antoni Ramallets.
At 30, we should expect more from the man that cost Atletico Madrid $14.5 million in the 2013/2014 transfer window.
In the 2022/23 season, Jan Oblak performed as expected in goal for the Colchoneros and is still undoubtedly one of the top soccer goalies in the world.
9. Yassine Bounou
Country: Morocco
Club: Sevilla
The 32-year-old goalkeeper has consistently been regarded as one of best goalkeepers in the Spanish La Liga, but after his heroics at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Yassine Bounou is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
During the round of 16 of 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, Yassine Bounou made two crucial saves during the penalty shoot-out against Spain, which resulted in Morocco qualifying for the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
In the quarter-finals, Bounou played a crucial role in Morocco’s 1-0 victory against Portugal, making it the first time an African team had reached the semi-finals.
He also kept three clean sheets during the tournament, which was joint best with Jordan Pickford of England and Emiliano Martínez of winners Argentina. Notably, Bounou was the first African goalkeeper to reach three clean sheets in a World Cup.
While in the 2023 Europa League final against Roma, Yassine Bounou’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
He made two crucial saves during the penalty shootouts, which led to Sevilla’s 4-1 victory and secured their seventh title in the competition. This victory came after a 1-1 draw, in which Bounou played a vital role in keeping the scoreline level.
In truth, Yassine Bounou has always been one of the best goalkeepers in the world, although he has been somewhat underrated.
However, his performances for the Moroccan national team and Sevilla showed the world just how good of a goalkeeper he is.
The Moroccan international possesses exceptional positioning, penalty-saving technique, and a keen sense of anticipation, which allows him to position himself well to make crucial saves and cut off angles for opposing attackers.
8. Aaron Ramsdale
Country: England
Club: Arsenal
The 25-year-old shot-stopper has been impressive between the sticks for Arsenal throughout the 2022/23 season.
After the departure of Bernd Leno at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, Ramsdale become the undisputed goalie for the Gunners and took the number one shirt at Arsenal.
His string of remarkable saves and performances were key as Arsenal challenged for the EPL title.
Aaron Ramsdale had an outstanding season in 2022/23, receiving accolades and making crucial contributions to his team.
In March, he was honored with the Goalkeeper of the Year award at the prestigious 2023 London Football Awards, recognizing his exceptional performance between the goalposts.
In the same month, Ramsdale achieved another milestone by winning the Premier League Save of the Month award for the first time.
This recognition came as a result of his remarkable save from Dango Ouattara, a player from his former club Bournemouth. Ramsdale’s reflexes and agility were on full display during this impressive save.
One of Ramsdale’s most memorable moments occurred on 9 April when his heroic efforts in the dying minutes of the match against Liverpool helped secure a crucial 2-2 draw for Arsenal at Anfield.
Making two crucial saves during stoppage time, Ramsdale showcased his skill and determination, earning Arsenal their first point at Liverpool since a thrilling 3-3 draw back in January 2016.
7. Gianluigi Donnarumma
Country: Italy
Club: PSG
Not many a goalkeeper tend to make their senior team debut as 16-year-old teenagers. For the few ones who were lucky enough, they didn’t get to make such a debut for a big traditional team like AC Milan.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made his debut for AC Milan as a 16-year-old goalkeeper, but it was never an incidence of luck. Donnarumma has excellent reactions, and is great at stopping penalties.
He is renowned for shot-stopping ability, and speed when rushing off his line to face opponents in one on one situations.
Now with PSG, Donnarumma has already taken over from Gigi Buffon in the Italian national team, winning the UEFA Euro championship last season.
In the 2022/23 season so far, Donnarumma has played some key matches as PSG are on their way to win the Ligue 1 title.
6. Mike Maignan
Country: France
Club: AC Milan
Mike Maignan has always been one with the potential, but he couldn’t break out at PSG, where he was with Team B till 2015.
He moved to Lille and spent the next six years winning the Ligue 1 in 2021, and he made 21 clean sheets, one short of the league record.
At AC Milan, he replaced Donnarumma and won the Serie A in 2022, making it into the Serie A team of the season.
The Frenchman was crucial as AC Milan won the Serie A title in the 2021/22 season.
In the 2022/23 season, Maignan followed it up with a string of remarkable performances.
For example, during the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on April 18, 2023, he made a crucial save against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s penalty kick.
This pivotal moment occurred in a 1-1 away draw against Napoli, ultimately aiding his team in securing a spot in the semi-finals.
The aggregate score of 2-1 in favor of his team marked their first qualification for the semi-finals since the 2006-07 season.
The Frenchman has also become the number 1 goalkeeper for the France national team following Hugo Lloris’ retirement.
5. Alisson
Country: Brazil
Club: Liverpool
Currently, there are only a few goalkeepers who can topple Alisson Becker quality-wise.
From Internacional in Brazil down to Roma and now Liverpool, Becker has always shown brilliance in positioning, reflex, and every other quality that stands a goalkeeper out.
Despite the poor season that Liverpool has had, the Brazilian number one goalkeeper has been the shining light for the Merseyside club.
So far in the 2022/23 season, Allison has kept 13 clean sheets in 35 appearances and conceded 42 goals.
He is also one of the highest rated goalkeepers in the Premier League according to WhoScored.
4. Emiliano Martínez
Country: Argentina
Club: Aston Villa
Emiliano Martinez’s performances in recent years have established him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
The charismatic goalie was instrumental for Argentina as they won the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He played a vital role as Argentina had on of the longest unbeaten runs in international football.
His penalty-saving techniques, excellent shot-stopping ability, strong mentality and personality have made him popular among fans.
In 34 appearances in the English Premier League this season, Martinez has managed to keep 11 clean sheets with Aston Villa, as well as conceding only 36 goals and saving one penalty.
3. Ederson
Country: Brazil
Club: Manchester City
Ederson has always been ranked amongst the best-ever goalkeepers in the world. He moved from Benfica to Manchester City in 2017.
The 18-time cap goalkeeper is second to Allison in the Brazilian national team.
His style of play isn’t limited to saves but also does well with his passing skills and can function as the last defender as a sweeper-keeper.
He has won four Premier League titles, and three of them came with the Premier League golden glove, including the just concluded season.
Ederson has been not let Manchester City down in goal during the 2022/23 season.
He has kept 11 clean sheets in 34 EPL appearances, and has posted some terrific displays in the Champions League.
2. Marc Andre Ter Stegen
Country: Germany
Club: Barcelona.
When it comes to goalkeepers who are good with the ball on their feet, Ter Stegen sits at the top with the very best. He is one of the best ball-playing goalkeepers in football right now.
The German has made over 200 appearances for Barcelona since 2014, and he keeps getting better.
In a season where Barcelona dominated the Spanish La Liga, Marc Andre ter Stegen conceded 16 goals and kept 25 clean sheets in 35 matches in the La Liga 2022/2023 season.
Simply put, whenever ter Stegen is in goal, his team conceded a goal every 277 minutes. Marc Andre ter Stegen’s per 90 minutes goals conceded stat is 0.3.
His performances this season has helped to cement his status as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
1. Thibaut Courtois
Country: Belgium
Club: Real Madrid
In 2022 and 2023 so far, no goalkeeper has been more influential than Real Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois who recently led the Los Blancos to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League double.
His influence was remarkably noticeable in the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool in May, where he was voted man of the match.
He made 9 saves in the final, and a total of 59 saves in the UEFA Champions League campaign overall.
Thibaut Courtois has not slowed down this season. He has conceded 24 goals and kept 10 clean sheets in 27 matches in the La Liga 2022/2023 season.
He also played a decisive role as Real Madrid reached the semi-finals of the ongoing UEFA Champions League.
NOTABLE MENTIONS:
Other best goalkeepers in the world who deserve notable mentions include:
- Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
- André Onana (Inter Milan)
- Ivan Provedel (Lazio)
- Alex Meret (Napoli)
- Alban Lafont (Nantes)
- Bernd Leno (Fulham)
- Yehvann Diouf (Reims)
- Álex Remiro (Real Sociedad).
It’s really nice knowing the importance of having a good goalkeeper, they play an important role in the success of a team.