The role of the goalkeeper has changed dramatically in recent years.
In the early years of football, goalkeepers were needed to simply save shots.
If they could keep the ball out of the net by any means necessary, that was all that mattered.
However, more recently, the role of ‘sweeper-keeper’ has emerged and the need to be as good with their feet as their hands.
Goalkeepers are now invaluable to a team’s style of play as they help build attacks, beat the press and sweep up counter-attacks.
But they will always still be judged on how good they are at keeping the ball out of their net.
With that in mind, FourFourTwo magazine have ranked the 10 best goalkeepers in the world right now.
Let’s have a look at their top 10:
10. David de Gea | Manchester United
De Gea has probably been at No.1 in this list at some point during his career but mistakes have crept into the Spaniard’s game in recent years.
9. Ederson | Manchester City
Elsewhere in Manchester, Ederson has also conceded goals he really shouldn’t be conceding during the 2019/20 season. The Brazilian is probably the best goalkeeper in the world in terms of distribution, though.
8. Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich
It was once indisputable that Neuer was the best goalkeeper in the world with the German mastering the art of the ‘sweeper-keeper.’ Injuries in the past few years has seen the 34-year-old lose his place as the undisputed world No.1.
7. Samir Handanovic | Inter Milan
The Slovenian is probably the busiest goalkeeper in this list for his club side, Inter Milan. But for the last eight years, Handanovic has quietly established himself as the best goalkeeper in Serie A.
6. Peter Gulacsi | RB Leipzig
Leipzig have stolen plenty of players from RB Salzburg but the £2 million signing of Gulasci in 2015 is right up there. The Hungarian never made the grade at Liverpool but has been brilliant at Leipzig in the last five years.
5. Keylor Navas | PSG
The Costa Rican was allowed to leave Real Madrid for PSG in 2019 for just £13 million. But he’s kept the most Ligue 1 and Champions League clean sheets this season and, despite being 33-years-old, is in the form of his life.
4. Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid
It looked as though Courtois was going to be forced out of Madrid after his shaky start to life at the Bernabeu. But he’s improved dramatically, conceding just 16 goals in 24 matches, comfortably the best in La Liga.
3. Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Barcelona
Ter Stegen is in the process of dislodging Neuer as Germany’s No.1 and has established himself as a Barcelona fan favourite the meantime. Brilliant with his feet and equally world-class at shot-stopping.
2. Alisson | Liverpool
The inaugural winner of the Yachine Trophy - the award for the best men's goalkeeper in world football. The Brazilian helped Liverpool win last season’s Champions League and has been faultless in the 2019/20 campaign.
1. Jan Oblak | Atletico Madrid
The best goalkeeper in the world? Just take a look at his performance in the second leg against Liverpool last month and try to argue with that…
Ten world-class goalkeepers and it’s difficult to argue too much with the list. We don’t think there are any goalkeepers outside of the list that are worthy of a place.
As for the ordering itself, Ederson can maybe feel hard done by to find himself in 9th place behind both Gulasci and Handanovic.
But as far as the top three are concerned, there can be little argument.