So what were your thoughts on our Ten Best NBA superstars last week? Did you agree? Was there anybody missing from that list that you felt should have been included? That’s the wonderful thing about sport, we all have different opinions and nobody is usually 100% right 100% of the time. So with that in mind, we are going to turn our attention to the most popular game in the world, football or soccer as the Americans call it. And rather than do the usual “who is better Messi or Ronaldo…” whole debate (which I will get to when I do my all-time top stars list) I am going to be a bit more methodical. So, for this list, we are focusing on who the best goalkeepers are in the world at the present moment in time. Now great goalkeepers can save their team from dropping points several times during the season and in this list, I am not just looking at current form (although that does play a role), I am also looking at how consistent a goalkeeper is, how influential they are on their team and of course, how much natural ability they have between the posts. It’s also a tough position in the team mentally. You can be perfect for almost the entire game, but make one small mistake and you can give away a goal for your team that proves so costly, so mental strength is another thing we will consider. So with that in mind, and based upon performances leading right up to this present moment in time, who are our picks for the top ten goalkeepers in the world? Remember, you can see these players in action every week across the world and bet on their teams with bet365 Sport!

The Top Ten Soccer Goalkeepers Right Now

Finding out and judging who is the best goalkeeper in the world right now is no easy task and there are surprisingly few candidates out there for the top positions, but there are a number of outstanding candidates.

1. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid & Slovenia)

He may be an international star for little-fancied Slovenia, but Jan Oblak is the world’s best goalkeeper at the present moment in time. The Atletico Madrid stopper has had numerous games where he has produced save after save to keep Atletico in the match and his all round game is the match of anybody. His consistency is also superb and his all-round ability mark him out as one of the best there has ever been.

2. Alisson (Liverpool & Brazil)

Alisson is one of the players that helped transform Liverpool from being a title pretender to a title winner and a Champions League winner. He has had a few dodgy moments for Liverpool, notably against Manchester City last season, but in the main he has been rock solid and his performances and saves at key moments in games have been vital to Jurgen Klopp’s team over his time at the club. Not only that but he has now cemented himself as number one for his country too.

3. Ederson (Manchester City & Brazil)

Perhaps the best goalkeeper with the ball at his feet, Ederson is one of Manchester City’s most effective counter-attacking weapons with his distribution with hands and feet marking him out as a real danger for opponents. Add to that he is a powerful, physical presence with excellent hands and a fine shot stopper, it is incredible to think that he is second choice for his country, Brazil, as he would be one of the first names on the teamsheet for almost any other nation.

4. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich & Germany)

There was a time that Neuer would have been many people’s pick to top this list. The German shot-stopper is the epitome of a sweeper-keeper and his starting position means he can often end an opponents attack before it even starts. He is very adept with his feet and is a fantastic shot stopper, although a little unorthodox at times. His positioning and tendency to rush out can lead to errors at times but usually he is as safe a pair of hands as there is.

5. Laurent Courtois (Real Madrid & Belgium)

Perhaps one of the more overlooked players of Belgium’s “Golden Generation” of talent, Courtois has been a superb shot stopper for Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and most recently Real Madrid. His tall and languid appearances belie the fact that he is an excellent shot stopper and he is one of the keepers on this list that uses his legs to block shots, equally as well as his hands. A calming influence on his team he is going to be in his prime in the next four years.

6. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris St Germain & Italy)

Donnarumma’s acrimonious departure from AC Milan in the summer did leave a sour taste in the mouth for many Milan fans, but there is no denying his ability. Just 22 years of age and already a veteran of six seasons for Milan, he was key in Italy’s victory at the European Championships this summer, saving three England penalties in the shootout. He has the potential to rise to number 1 in this chart over the next five years or so.

7. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona & Germany)

The Barcelona stopper tends to rate more highly in these kinds of lists, but in truth I do feel that he is not a top-five goalkeeper in the world at the moment. Sure, Ter Stegen would have a hell of a lot more than the 27 caps he has for Germany if he played for another country and he has been superb for Barcelona and Borussia Moenchengladbach in his career. He is a very talented keeper with excellent reflexes, but technically I do feel there are others better than him.

8. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City & Denmark)

When you are the son of one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, you are always going to be held to high standards. When Schmeichel struggled to make the grade at Manchester City and after several loan spells to lower league clubs, he moved on to Notts County and then Leeds before finding his home in Leicester. Here he has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world over the past decade and is a Premier League winner. He is also a key member of an excellent Denmark team.

9. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa & Argentina)

For a long time, it seemed as if Emi Martinez would be a bit-part player for Arsenal. That was until he got a run in the Gunners team and started to put in excellent performances. A move to Aston Villa followed in 2020 after he made just 15 appearances for Arsenal in eight years, but he has thrived at Villa becoming one of the Premier League’s most consistent goalkeepers and earning the number 1 shirt for Argentina where he played a key role in their Copa America success last summer.

10. David de Gea (Manchester United & Spain)

In terms of pure natural ability, David de Gea would be in the top five of this list, but he has had some nightmarish games for Manchester United over the last few years, so much so that he has lost his place as Spain’s number 1 for a period and even lost his place at United to Dean Henderson. There’s no doubt that on his day, de Gea is still a world class talent and there have been times when he has kept United in games of late. He should be much higher up this chart but until he can cut out these poor mistakes, he will have to be content with a place in the lower half of the top ten. So who would make it into your goalkeeping world top ten?

More Top 10 Lists

Check out our other Top 10 Lists from Ian John:

• Top 10 NBA Players right now
• Top 10 best Full Backs and Wing Backs in the world
• Top 10 best Centre Backs in the world
• Top 10 best Attacking Midfielders in the world
• Top 10 best Central Midfielders in the world
• Top 10 best Strikers and Wingers in the world
• Top 10 Best NFL Defenses in the NFL right now
• The Most Unusual Sports Moment
• The Top 10 Toughest and Dirtiest Football Players Of All Time
• The 10 Greatest Moments In Super Bowl History
• The 10 most controversial sports figures

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