Gianluigi Buffon names the 5 best goalkeepers in world football; Alisson and Ederson omitted
Alisson and Ederson were left out as Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon named his top five goalkeepers in the world.
The legendary Italian goalkeeper arrived at an event organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Buffon chose Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois as the current best goalkeeper in the world. His compatriot, Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma, was in second spot.
Bayern Munich's German custodian Manuel Neuer was third on the list while Atletico Madrid's Slovenian star Jan Oblak was named in the fourth spot. AC Milan's Mike Maignan rounded off Buffon's list in fifth place.
Gianluigi Buffon is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers of all time. He is currently plying his trade with Serie B side Parma. He left the club as a 23-year-old in 2001 to start his legendary run at Juventus. He made a record 685 appearances for Juventus, winning ten Serie A titles.
Buffon's €52 million move made him the world's most expensive goalkeeper. His record remained intact until Alisson, who couldn't make a spot on Buffon's list, joined Liverpool for €75 million in 2018.
The exclusion of Alisson and Ederson might come as a surprise to many. Both Brazilians have been phenomenal for Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool in recent times.
However, given the pedigree of the other goalkeepers that the 2006 World Cup winner has chosen, it's hard to argue with his picks.
Gianluigi Buffon reveals what he messaged Paolo Maldini after Mike Maignan signing
Mike Maignan has been absolutely exceptional since joining AC Milan in 2021 from Lille. The Rossoneri were keen to add a quality shot-stopper to their squad after Gianluigi Donnarumma decided to leave the club to pursue a career at PSG.
While replacing a goalkeeper of Donnarumma's standards would be hard for any player, Maignan has filled the void with stunning performances.
The Frenchman possesses incredible reflexes and shot-stopping abilities. To add to that, he is an amazing distributor as well. Since his move to Italy, the player has made 48 appearances for AC Milan, keeping 21 cleansheets.
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Gianluigi Buffon is a big admirer of the Frenchman. He revealed what he texted former Italy teammate Paolo Maldini after the goalkeeper signed for Milan.
He said (via Sempre Milan):
"When I returned from Paris to Juve they asked me about goalkeepers. I said of Maignan of Lille, but no one considered him. I was wondering why. When Milan signed him I sent a message to Maldini, saying that few believed in him but that they had recruited a great goalkeeper."