In the article, we analyze the top ten best goalkeepers in the world currently and consider their recent performance based on statistics on matches.
The goalkeeping position is as vital to any team as any other position. The likes of Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, and Oliver Kahn help emphasize the value of goalkeepers in teams. It is challenging to shortlist the top ten goalkeepers globally because of the level of competition across leagues.
The Black Spider, Lev Yashin, is the only goalkeeper awarded the Ballon d’Or, although so many have missed it by a whisker. Emmanuel Nuer, Kahn, and Buffon could have won it, but journalists give little attention to this position despite its enormous importance.
So, who is the best goalkeeper in the world in 2022? We look at ten keepers based on their appearances, clean sheet saves made, rate of goals conceded, and more!
Keylor Navas – Paris Saint Germain
The Costa Rican is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He proved his worth during his time in Spain with Real Madrid, which is why French giants Paris Saint Germain (PSG) secured his services.
Navas may not be the team’s most popular or flashiest player, but few, if anyone, can question his abilities. Despite not being PSG’s first-choice keeper, Navas has kept 37% of clean sheets in the 19 games he’s played.
Gianluigi Donnaruma
Gianluigi has been remarkable for PSG after his move from AC Milan and cemented his rank amongst the top goalkeepers globally.
After winning the Euros, he has delivered striking performances in the PSG shirt, winning the League 1 title consecutively twice. He also is the number-one keeper for Italy’s Azzuri.
Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
Emiliano might not be a headline name, but anyone who watched him will attest to his reliability on goal. His exceptional displays in the league earned him a spot on the list. He is a great defensive leader and continues to rake in more saves in each match.
The 29-year-old had been with Arsenal for ten years and eventually made his mark in his final season when he stood in for injured Bernd Leno.
After what can be termed as his breakthrough season (crazy as it sounds), he left for Aston Villa as Mikel Arteta was clear that Leno was his first choice.
Martinez is Villa’s main goalie, and in his first season (2020/21), he played 38 matches, and in the current 2021/22 campaign, he’s recorded 32 starts. What makes Martinez one of the best goalkeepers in the world in 2022?
He is one of the best shot-stoppers in the league and has kept 11 clean sheets, ranking him sixth in the premier league. He made 81 saves and saved one penalty and won the 2021 Copa América with Argentina internationally.
Peter Gulacsi – RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig has captured the imagination of many football fans over the last few seasons. Its players have also made headlines.
One of them is their goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi who kept the highest number of clean sheets in the Bundesliga in the 2020/21 season with 15.
After that performance, he declared himself one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe. This season, he’s played 31 games, didn’t concede in nine games and shipped in 30 goals.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – FC Barcelona
Stegen is currently not at his best, but he remains among the best globally. We all thought that Ter Stegen would be Germany’s number-one goalkeeper at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, only for former head coach Joachim Loe to stick with Manuel Neuer.
Moreover, the German missed a substantial part of the season due to injury. Barring injuries, he is FC Barcelona’s number one.
However, his statistics depict a goalkeeper still needs to return to his best. At the same time, Barcelona has struggled at some points in the season, and team dynamics have affected his output. He is presently conceding more goals than his average and has been less decisive.
That said, Ter Stegen has kept 10 clean sheets which is a drop from what he recorded in the previous three seasons – 11, 14 and 16 and conceded 29 goals in 32 games in La Liga which is an improvement from the last three seasons – 31, 32 and 31 goals.
Samir Handanovic – Inter Milan
Inter Milan’s goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Slovenian lifted the Serie A with Inter Milan, which confirms why he ranks among the top ten.
In the Serie A side, he averaged 0.9 goals conceded per game, conceding only 33 goals in 37 appearances with Nerazzurri last season.
He also kept 14 impressive clean sheets, joint top with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. Samir has played 35 matches and conceded 28 goals for a club with one of the league’s best defences this season.
Ederson Santana de Moraes – Manchester City
The Argentine and Manchester City goalkeeper, Ederson Moraes, is undoubtedly one of the best in the world. The Brazilian’s maiden season was one to remember, and he only missed out on a Champions League thanks to the fantastic performance from Chelsea.
He has been dominant in the Premier League, and his defensive contribution has been notable (19 clean sheets and 28 goals conceded) and second only to Liverpool’s keeper.
The Brazilian has won the golden glove in the last two seasons – 2019/20 and 2020/21 after he registered the most clean sheets in the Premier League with 16 and 19.
Apart from being one of the best goalkeepers in the world in 2022, Ederson is also one of the best distributing goalkeepers in the world. He is the perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s style of play, as their attacks begin with the goalkeeper.
And we’ve seen Ederson inspire counter-attacks simply by pinging the ball in space to a running attacker hence why he is also one of the best-kicking goalkeepers in the world.
Edouard Mendy – Chelsea FC
The Senegalese international arrived in England from Rennes in 2020 and immediately took charge in front of goal. Mendy has quickly proven himself to be one of the best goalies in the Premier League.
He replaced Courtois at Stamford Bridge and became a fan favourite after a handful of games. Mendy has registered 16 clean sheets, conceded 25 in 31 games, and averaged 57 saves in a season.
The Chelsea stopper has proved to be among the top in the world, recently winning the Champions League and AFCON despite his club’s recent slump in form.
So far this season, he has 16 clean sheets, which place him in third alongside Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris. He’s conceded 25 goals in 30 matches he’s played.
Alison Becker – Liverpool FC
The Brazilian international leads the clean sheet tally in the premier league with 20, which is why he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world in 2022. With a formidable defence in front of him, Alison has underlined why he is one of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players.
He is also one of the best distributor goalkeepers in the world and the best-kicking goalkeeper in the world. According to FBRef.com, the Brazilian opts for passes more than goal kicks, which captures Klopp’s style of play. Also, it shows his capacity to play in the modern way where goalkeepers have to be comfortable with their feet.
Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak is sometimes overlooked for whatever reason. It could be his nationality or that he’s not the most popular player off the field and, at times, on the field. Yet, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
He usually gives strikers a tough time when his defence is in shape, with performances that rival Antonio Ramallets and Victor Valdez. He is the first non-Spanish layer to win five Zamora trophies for having the lowest goals-to-game ratio.
Oblak had one of his best seasons in 2020/21 when Atletico Madrid won the league. He registered 18 clean sheets and conceded the lowest number of goals with 24. This won him his fifth Zamora trophy and underlined his importance for Diego Simeone’s side.
In 2021/22, the Slovenian international conceded 37 goals and kept only 10 clean sheets in 34 matches. These results might not match his record for the last campaign, but he is still one of the best showstoppers in the game.
Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid FC
His height is quite the advantage, as he’s excellent at punching out balls that dip into the corners. Courtois is also good in the air, and his reflexes have also come in handy at crucial times.
Courtois is also one of the best distributor goalkeepers in the world. He prefers to take long passes and has more touches on the ball than he takes goal kicks.
Thibaut is our number one best goalkeeper in the world. He is one of the leaders in the Madrid side and the force behind last season’s exploits in the Champion League.
Courtois struggled in his first season after he arrived from Chelsea and was an easy scapegoat, but he has since settled in and returned to his best.
He has recorded 13 clean sheets in La Liga so far and ranks third. As a result, he has cemented his place in the team and made the GK position his own.
Honourable Mentions
If we have yet to feature a name you expected to be on the list, it’s because narrowing down the names of the best goalkeepers in the world is a tricky business which is why this section exists.
You might have expected Manuel Neuer, David de Gea, or Hugo Lloris to make the list.
These are great names and would be on the list on any other day, and trust us, we highly considered them, but the die has been cast.
Conclusion
The goalkeeping position has become just as important as any other position in football today. It may not yet carry the prestige of the striker position, but with the evolution of how teams play – building up play from the back – goalies have almost become on-field players.
The goalkeeper’s job is no longer to punch, kick or dive for the ball. They have to be just as active and possess just as much skill as any other player on the field – impressive on-the-ball skills to pass and even nutmeg opponents, solid distribution skills, and leadership abilities, amongst other skills.
We see these attributes in all the goalkeepers on this list. Let us know if you agree.