Lev Ivanovich Yashin, nicknamed the "Black Spider" or the "Black Panther", was a Soviet professional footballer, regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport. He was known for his athleticism, positioning, imposing presence in goal, and acrobatic reflex saves. He was also deputy chairman of the Football Federation of the Soviet Union.
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During eight seasons at English club Manchester United, he captained the club to victory in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final to complete the Treble. He also played with the Danish national team, with whom he won the UEFA Euro 1992.
Peter Leslie Shilton is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He last played for USL Championship club Memphis 901 FC, a club of which he is a minority owner and sporting director. He is also international ambassador in the US for former club Everton. Howard is widely considered to be one of the greatest team-members in American soccer history. Howard was named to the 2003–04 PFA Premier League Team of the Year and was awarded the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Glove. Referencing the American public's preference for other sports over soccer in contrast to most other countries, the Chicago Tribune described Howard as the "rarest of creatures – an American soccer hero".
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and currently works as a football commentator. Popularly dubbed "San Iker" for his ability to produce spectacular saves, Casillas is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, quick reactions and outstanding shot-stopping ability. Having spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid, Casillas is one of the few players to achieve over 1000 professional career matches, and holds the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League, as well as for the Spain national team. Currently, he works for RTVE, Movistar Plus+ and Azteca Deportes.
Gianluigi Buffon is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for Serie B club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances.
Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former professional player who was most recently the chief executive of Ajax, with whom he began his senior playing career in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the Ajax team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995. A goalkeeper, he left Ajax for Juventus in 1999, where he spent two years before moving to England, first to Fulham and then to Manchester United in 2005. There he won a second Champions League title in 2008, making him one of just eight players at the time to have won the competition with more than one club. He retired as a professional in 2011, but briefly came out of retirement in 2016 to play a match for Dutch amateur team VV Noordwijk, for whom he had previously played as a youth. He played 130 times for the Netherlands national team, and was the nation's most-capped player until 2017, when he was overtaken by Wesley Sneijder.
Kasey C. Keller is an American former professional soccer player who played in Europe and the United States, as well as being the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team. He is a four-time FIFA World Cup participant and was the first American goalkeeper to become a regular in the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League, and the Spanish La Liga.
Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea is a Saudi Arabian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He participated in four FIFA World Cups for the Saudi Arabia national team and earned a total of 173 officially recognized caps.
A goalkeeper is a position in association football. It is the most specialised position in the sport. The goalkeeper's main role is to stop the opposing team from scoring. This is accomplished by having the goalkeeper move into the trajectory of the ball to either catch it or direct it further from the vicinity of the goal line. Within the penalty area goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands, giving them the sole rights on the field to handle the ball. The goalkeeper is indicated by wearing a different coloured kit from their teammates and opposition.
Keylor Antonio Navas Gamboa is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Costa Rica national team.
Manuel Peter Neuer is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for and captains both Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Neuer has been described as a "sweeper-keeper" because of his playing style and speed when rushing off his line to anticipate opponents, going out of the penalty area. He was named the best goalkeeper of the decade from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS.
David Ospina Ramírez is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr and captains the Colombia national team.
David de Gea Quintana is a Spanish professional footballer who most recently played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. He is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation due to his shot stopping and reflexes.
Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Belgium national team. Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he is known for his reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of the penalty area.
Alireza Safar Beiranvand is an Iranian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis and the Iran national team. He is considered as one of the best Asian goalkeepers of all time.
Álisson Ramsés Becker, known as Alisson Becker or simply Alisson, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team. He is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world due to his immense shot stopping, distribution and ability in one-on-one situations.
André Onana Onana is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Inter Milan.
Matthew Charles Turner is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Arsenal and the United States national team.
Édouard Osoque Mendy is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Professional League club Al Ahli. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team.
