Ranking the 5 best goalkeepers at Copa America 2024
With just 10 days to go, excitement for Copa America 2024 is building at a steady pace. The usual contenders Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, are picking up pace in the pre-tournament friendlies, while dark horses Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, and others are gearing up to cause an upset.
South American football is extremely tactical, and the physical side of a player's game is tested as much as his footballing skills. Therefore, a team's defense becomes crucial for making any progress in a competition like Copa America 2024, and the last line of defense is always the goalkeeper.
Ranking the top five goalkeepers in Copa America 2024
Here is a list of the top five goalkeepers in Copa America 2024:
#5 David Ospina
David Ospina will spearhead Colombia's goalkeeping department at Copa America 2024 with his experience. The 35-year-old is still an agile and acrobatic shot-stopper, and will be crucial in mentoring the side at the tournament.
One of the best aspects of Ospina's game is his ability to quickly come off his line and smother the opposition's attack by grabbing that ball like a typical 'sweeper-keeper.' However, injuries have ruined Ospina's current stint with Al-Nassr, and he will be looking to keep himself at peak fitness before and throughout Copa America 2024.
Despite fighting with injuries, the Colombian goalkeeper managed five clean sheets in 15 matches for Al-Nassr this season. It remains to be seen whether he will feature as a regular for Colombia, but his experience and ability gives him the edge to make this list.
#4 Claudio Bravo
Despite Brayan Cortes being a regular starter for Chile in recent matches, Claudio Bravo's vast experience in pressure situations might just tip him ahead of the 29-year-old.
Claudio Bravo is known for his composure in crunch moments and his agility with the ball at his feet. The shot-stopper is also lauded for his ball distribution skills and the ability to help his team build up the game from the backline. He was a part of the Barcelona setup during their peak 'tiki-taka' days and was crucial to their build-up play.
Bravo was able to play only nine matches for Real Betis this season because of a hamstring injury. However, he is hale and hearty now and will hope to be in the squad during Copa America 2024.
#3 Sergio Rochet
Sergio Rochet has been Uruguay's first-choice goalkeeper since the recent retirement of Fernando Muslera from international football. The player came back from a long-term rib injury in March and has been performing well for Internacional since then.
In the current season, Rochet has conceded just seven goals in 10 games and kept a total of four clean sheets. The 31-year-old will likely be helped by a solid defensive line consisting of Jose Maria Gimenez, Ronald Araujo, Matias Bina, and Sebastian Caceres.
#2 Emiliano Martinez
Now, we enter the top two contenders in the list, starting with Argentina's Emiliano Martinez. The 31-year-old has been talismanic for Argentina in their domination of world football over the last few years.
Martinez is known for his extremely sharp reflexes, intelligence to read the game, and ability to make instant decisions. Another unique side to his skillset is his ability to play mind games with the opponent. Martinez is a penalty shootout expert and has saved Argentina multiple times, most notably in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France.
For Aston Villa, the Argentine shot-stopper kept 15 clean sheets this season and conceded 61 goals in 47 games. He has been one of the major contributors towards the Villans' qualification for the Champions League next season, for the first time in over 40 years.
#1 Alisson Becker
Topping the list of the top goalkeepers in Copa America 2024 is Brazil's Alisson Becker. The Liverpool shot-stopper will be one of the key players in the Selecao lineup, and his experience will be needed in directing a comparatively inexperienced defense.
Alisson has had a good season for Liverpool, keeping 11 clean sheets in 32 games across competitions. He will need to keep up the good work if Brazil are to win their 10th Copa America trophy.