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Ranking the top 5 goalkeepers of all time

Legendary England goalkeeper Gordon Banks
Legendary England goalkeeper Gordon Banks

Goalkeepers in the modern-day game are required to do so much more than perhaps a decade or so ago. The game has evolved so much that even the men guarding the posts need to show a bit of pizzazz with their passing and distribution.

When clubs spend fees upward of £60 million to sign goalkeepers, you know the position is no longer low on their priority list.

In the last decade or so, we have seen some incredible goalkeepers who have perhaps redefined the position.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five goalkeepers of all time.


#5 Gordon Banks

The former England custodian was the standout goalkeeper at the 1966 World Cup as he conceded just one goal in five matches to help his side to their first and so far only World Cup trophy.

Banks combined incredible reflexes with speed off his line, which was there to see in the 1970 World Cup.

His Magnum Opus was perhaps the save he pulled off against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup when he denied Pele a goal. Banks, against all odds, dived to save Pele’s downward header, and showed incredible reflexes to get his right hand to the bobbling ball.

Banks did not win much silverware in his career as he played for Leicester City and Stoke City during the 1960s and the 1970s. His CV shows only two League Cups, but a World Cup more than makes up for it.

Banks sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 81, but not before he inspired a generation of goalkeepers in his native England.


#4 Iker Casillas

Real Madrid v Barcelona - Copa del Rey Final
Real Madrid v Barcelona - Copa del Rey Final

In his prime, the Spaniard didn’t let much past him, and was perhaps the most complete goalkeeper Spain have ever had.

Casillas was a mainstay at Real Madrid for a decade and a half after making his debut in 1998. The Spaniard initially had a tough start as he wasn’t always the preferred option over the 2001-02 season.

He did, however, play an important role in their Champions League win against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-02 season, and never looked back after that.

Casillas won the Zamora Trophy in 2008 for conceding just 32 goals in 38 LaLiga games, and won pretty much everything in club football with Real Madrid.

The apogee of his career came in 2010, when he led Spain to their first ever World Cup and played a key role in the final.

Casillas’ save in the final to deny Arjen Robben was one of the best saves in the 2010 World Cup. The fact that it came in such a crucial game shows just how much of a big-game player he was.

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