5 greatest goalkeepers to feature on the Ballon d'Or shortlist in the 21st century
The Ballon d'Or is the greatest individual honor in football. Every year, the best players in the world are shortlisted for the award and compete fiercely to become the recipient of the Ballon d'Or.
Over the years, the Ballon d'Or winners have mainly been forwards due to their flair and the insurmountable admiration for them in the beautiful game. More often than not, players from every other department are overlooked in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
Several legends have won the Ballon d'Or in the 21st century
While midfielders like Pavel Nedved, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Luka Modric have won the Ballon d'Or in the 21st century, Fabio Cannavaro is the only defender to have been rewarded with the award during that time.
Notably, the only goalkeeper to ever win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award was the iconic Lev Yashin back in 1963. As long as the role between the sticks continues to remain as a thankless job in football, there is little hope that future goalkeepers will buck the trend.
However, some of the greatest shot-stoppers in the history of the game have come close to winning the Ballon d'Or in the past. The following list ranks the greatest goalkeepers to have been named on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or during the 21st century:
#5 Petr Cech
Current Chelsea technical and performance advisor Petr Cech enjoyed an illustrious playing career at Stamford Bridge. Since joining the Blues in 2004 from Rennes, the custodian established himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world during his 11-year stint.
Notably, Cech was included on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or twice in the 21st century. Both times he thoroughly earned his place after being the watchful guardian between the sticks for Chelsea's miserly defense under then manager Jose Mourinho.
Coincidentally, the Czech Republic international finished with seven points in both his appearances on the list in 2005 and 2007. Although he failed to appear on the Ballon d'Or shortlist again, Cech won every possible trophy in England and the Champions League with Chelsea.
He is also the goalkeeper with the highest number of clean sheets in Premier League history, with 202 shutouts to his name. That is 33 more than David James in second-place and 80 more than David De Gea, who is the closest active Premier League goalkeeper in 12th-place.
Without the shadow of a doubt, Cech has left behind a glorious legacy in the Premier League for future goalkeepers to try and emulate.
#4 Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn is certainly one of the most iconic goalkeepers to have graced the beautiful game. The German spent 14 years at Bayern Munich and was numero uno for both club and country for most of it.
It was during the early part of the 21st century that Khan emerged as a force in the race for the Ballon d'Or. Although he failed to win the award, the shot-stopper finished on the podium in 2001 and 2002.
Khan was perhaps best-equipped to win the Ballon d'Or in 2002, when he produced a memorable display in the Champions League final to help Bayern beat Valencia on penalties. The images of him consoling Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares after that final still remain a vivid memory for many fans. It even helped Kahn win the UEFA Fair Play Award.
However, Brazil lifted the World Cup that summer and Khan was pipped to the Ballon d'Or by two of the world champions' greatest talents. Striker Ronaldo finished at the top, while defender Roberto Carlos was second on the podium, followed by Khan in third for the second straight year.
Khan never returned to the Ballon d'Or shortlist, but finished his club career with the most clean sheets (204) in the Bundesliga (now surpassed by Manuel Neuer). He also recorded the highest number of appearances for a goalkeeper in the German top-flight after taking to the field on 557 separate occasions.