Look, right, compiling a list of the 25 best players in any position is really difficult.
But it’s a whole lot of fun and stirs debate – and that’s what football’s about, right?
So here’s your current list of the top 25 goalkeepers on the planet at the moment, as judged by 90min.
Last updated on March 30, 2021.
Real Sociedad have had some super talented players don their kit in recent seasons, and Alex Remiro has impressed himself since joining permanently from rivals Athletic after a couple of loan spells.
He’s notched over 50 appearances for La Real in nearly two seasons.
Dean Henderson has some work to do in order to become Man Utd’s permanent number one, but the fact that he’s being considered as (potentially) better than a player who sits much higher than him on this list earns him a spot.
Henderson had a great debut season in the Premier League and is also in the running to be England number one – while a number of other big clubs are interested in paying big money to sign him.
Chelsea’s current number one is perhaps deserving of his presence here following his solid first campaign in the Premier League – stepping in for the much criticised Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Mendy is something of a late bloomer in a football sense, but has really shown his worth since Thomas Tuchel tightened up the Blues’ back line.
Clean sheets galore.
Moroccan international Yassine Bounou – commonly known as Bono – has emerged as one of the finest stoppers in La Liga since his move to Sevilla.
He performed heroics as his side won the Europa League last season (Manchester United fans will remember the semi-final well) and he’s continued his form this season too.
Remarkably, he even scored a late equaliser for his side in a recent 1-1 league draw with Valladolid.
A regular in the Spanish national team, Unai Simon is deserving of his place in the top 25.
An indispensable piece in Bilbao’s effective footballing machine is Unai Simon who has stepped seamlessly into Kepa’s jersey since he left for Chelsea.
He’s big and he loves saving shots. Introducing Bayer Leverkusen stopper Lukas Hradecky – the best Finnish keeper since Antti Niemi.
Cutting his teeth at Eintracht Frankfurt, Hradecky won Bundesliga Goalkeeper of the Year at the end of the 2017/2018 season. This earned him a move to Leverkusen where he has continued to impress ever since.
With the scores level in the Euro 2016 final, Dimitri Payet floated a pass to Antoine Griezmann. The then-Atletico Madrid man met it with his head, causing the ball to loop up and seemingly over a stricken Rui Patricio in the Portuguese goal.
Then, in a blink of an eye, Patricio pivoted back and flung out a hand to tip it over the bar in the nick of time.
The moment has been immortalised by a bronze statue erected in his hometown and though 90min cannot quite offer his the same honour, we hope he is still happy with a place on our list.
Tipped as Hugo Lloris’ long term successor for France, Mike Maignan – although he sounds like a singer from a country and western wedding band – is among high-flying Lille’s best players.
The interest Maignan has attracted from Premier League sides such as Chelsea, Dortmund and Spurs, might mean he doesn’t stay there for too much longer.
What a rise it’s been for Emi Martinez in the last year.
Thrust into the Arsenal spotlight in the back end of last season, the Argentinian took the move to Aston Villa to play regular football and has proven he’s really, really bloody good.
He may be one of the oldest looking 30-year-olds of all time, but there’s no doubting Peter Gulacsi is pretty good at this whole goalkeeping thing.
His footballing journey is not the most conventional. After being signed by Liverpool in 2008, the Hungarian spent time on loan at Hereford United a year later.
Wonder if he ever thought he’d be playing in the Champions League while standing in the freezing cold at Edgar Street? Quite the story that.
Borussia Mönchengladbach have performed miracles in the Bundesliga in recent seasons, despite their modest budget. Their resolute defending has been a feature of their success.
When teams finally do break through their stoic resistance, it also helps to have a keeper as talented as Yann Sommer – widely regarded as the BuLi’s best (apart from the obvious one) – between the sticks.
No matter how many fingertip saves he makes, no matter how many shots he smothers, Bernd Leno lives in constant fear of the players ahead of him making a brainless error to cost him his clean sheet.
Our heart goes out to you mate.
Stepping up as captain in the absence of Wes Morgan has had no negative effect on Kasper Schmeichel’s performances for Leicester.
The Denmark international has seen it all during his stint at the King Power Stadium and remains a key cog in Brendan Rodgers’ footballing revolution and one of the Premier League’s most reliable stoppers.
Amid all of the chaos at Milan in recent seasons, one thing that has never been in doubt is the ability of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Out of contract in the summer, there’s a load of clubs hoping he may well decide to leave Milan and spend the next 15 years in their goal – but as it stands it’s most likely he re-signs and stays.
Due to the mistakes that have crept into his game, there has been some discussion about David de Gea’s Manchester United future in recent seasons – it’ll need to be resolved this summer.
The questions over whether he’s past his best are legitimate but if history is anything to go by, the Spaniard will revel in proving his doubters wrong.
He’s still first choice for Spurs and France, and still one of the best goalkeepers around. But Hugo Lloris is maybe not quite in that top tier any longer.
Uncertainty remains on where Lloris will play his football next season with Spurs in crisis (at least sometimes) and you can be sure there’d be a number of interested parties if he does end up forcing an exit in the next year or two.
Inter legend Samir Handanovic is showing few signs of letting up.
The Nerazzurri are in place to win Serie A this season and it would be a fitting climax to the Slovenian’s (so far) trophyless career if he could clinch a Scudetto.
Make it happen please.
Slipping into the gloves of Gianluigi Buffon was never going to be easy but Wojciech Szczesny has completed the transition convincingly.
The Polish stopper was excellent for Roma after departing Arsenal in 2015 and he has continued to impress in Turin. Juventus will need him in top form as well for the remainder of the season.
Obscure footballing nations often produce talented goalkeepers and Costan Rican stopper Keylor Navas is a case in point.
After being somewhat unfairly replaced at Real Madrid by Thibaut Courtois for not being quite Galactico enough, Keylor Navas has established himself as Paris Saint-Germain number one and remains among the best in the game.
After a shaky opening at Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois has been in exemplary form recently.
Los Blancos may lack some pizzazz going forward since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, but at the back there has been few complaints – partly due to Courtois’ really long limbs and good goalkeeping ability.
He scooped the Zamora trophy as Real won La Liga last season.
Will he start for Germany at the Euros or will Marc Andre ter Stegen take his place on the throne? We don’t know, but we cannot wait to find out.
Manuel Neuer played a big role in the modern reinvention of the goalkeeping position and he remains one of the very best sweeper-keepers in the business today.
When Pep Guardiola made a cheeky remark about Ederson being the best penalty taker at Manchester City everyone believed him – such is the technical ability of the Brazilian stopper.
Wouldn’t it be great to see him given a run out up front, David James style? He’d probably score a brace.
But he’s a quality keeper and playing in front of an uncharacteristically mean Manchester City defence at the moment.
Razor sharp reflexes, wrists like steel, distribution like Andrea Pirlo and a really cool name.
These are just a few of the things that make Marc-Andre ter Stegen one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Barcelona are in dire need of a rebuild but can take solace in the fact that goalkeeper is one position that does not need to be touched. Not for a good while anyway.
Can’t. Take. Eyes. Off it. ?? pic.twitter.com/PxjXYIMTEq
— 90min (@90min_Football) March 29, 2021
When Liverpool spent nearly £70m on Alisson back in 2018, social media was awash with jibes from rival fans questioning the size of the fee.
But they’re not laughing now…
The Brazilian has proved to be a game-changing upgrade to Loris Karius, straddling the attributes of both a sweeper-keeper and traditional stopper perfectly.
He’s also played his part in Liverpool becoming Premier League, European and world champions in recent seasons. Worth the money, for sure.
There are times watching four-time Zamora Trophy winner Jan Oblak when you might genuinely believe that he has the power to attract the ball towards his hands.
It’s like his gloves have their own gravitational pull.
He’s the best shot shopper in the world and at the moment, Atletico Madrid’s number one is our number one too.
Let’