Football
Who is the Greatest World Cup Goalkeeper Ever? A Ranking
The goalkeeping position has evolved immensely since the inception of the beautiful game of football. However, one thing that always remains the same is the position’s importance to a team’s defensive solidity. Goal prevention remains the most important responsibility of a goalkeeper, with other aspects, such as leadership and offensive contributions, taking a supporting role. The FIFA World Cup is the most important trophy in football as it symbolises the ultimate glory for players and national teams. It holds greater significance as it’s hosted every four years, and due to its global nature, it is the pinnacle of achievement for a player’s career and country.
Iker Casillas /Getty Images
A dominant performance by a goalkeeper, whether through a signal great save or a clean sheet in the knockout phase, can catapult their country into the latter stages of the tournament, with the possibility of ultimate glory and legendary status up for grabs. This SB Market analysis will delve into the careers of the best goalkeepers at the FIFA World Cup and offer an in-depth, comprehensive ranking of some of the greats, including Peter Shilton, Sepp Maier, Fabien Barthez, Iker Casillas, and Manuel Neuer, among others.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the World Cup’s Greatest Goalkeepers
Here, an SB Market Index makes a statistical highlight of the greatest goalkeepers based on their clean sheet records at the World Cup, as informed by expert and media perception.
Industry Insights
This is a curated analysis from the top 10 football and sports media sources that measures how prominently each goalkeeper is featured in discussions of the “greatest World Cup goalkeepers of all time.”
| Source Name | Fabien Barthez | Peter Shilton | Jan Jongbloed | Lea o | Sepp Maier | Taffare l | Hugo Lloris | Gilma r | Thibaut Courtois | Fernando Muslera | Iker Casillas | Manuel Neuer |
FIFA.com – “Golden Glove Winners History” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FourFourTwo – “Top 10 World Cup Goalkeepers” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
ESPN – “Ranking the Best World Cup Keepers Ever” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bleacher Report – “Ranking The 20 Greatest WC Goalkeepers” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Goal.com – “World Cup’s All-Time XI” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wikipedia – “FIFA World Cup awards” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Guardian – “Defining World Cup Goalkeeping Moments” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
talkSPORT – “Top 5 Keepers in the World Cup History” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
90min – “The 15 Greatest Goalkeepers of All Time” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Reddit r/soccer – “Best WC Goalkeeper” Fan Polls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10 |
SB Score
| Goalkeeper | Clean Sheets | Appearances | Clean Sheets per Appearance | SB Score |
| Jan Jongbloed | 8 | 12 | 0.667 | 1.000 |
| Fabien Barthez | 10 | 17 | 0.588 | 0.959 |
| Peter Shilton | 10 | 17 | 0.588 | 0.959 |
| Leao | 8 | 14 | 0.571 | 0.871 |
| Gilmar | 7 | 14 | 0.500 | 0.758 |
| Thibaut Courtois | 7 | 15 | 0.467 | 0.708 |
| Sepp Maier | 8 | 18 | 0.444 | 0.697 |
| Taffarel | 8 | 18 | 0.444 | 0.697 |
| Fernando Muslera | 7 | 16 | 0.438 | 0.662 |
| Iker Casillas | 7 | 17 | 0.412 | 0.622 |
| Hugo Lloris | 8 | 20 | 0.400 | 0.630 |
| Manuel Neuer | 7 | 19 | 0.368 | 0.556 |
This score is calculated based on two key World Cup career metrics: Clean Sheets Per
Appearance (60% weightage) and Total Clean Sheets (40% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Goalkeeper | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Iker Casillas | 0.622 | 10 | 8.124 |
| 2 | Manuel Neuer | 0.556 | 10 | 8.111 |
| 3 | Fabien Barthez | 0.959 | 10 | 8.192 |
| 4 | Sepp Maier | 0.697 | 10 | 7.339 |
| 5 | Peter Shilton | 0.959 | 7 | 5.792 |
| 6 | Thibaut Courtois | 0.708 | 7 | 5.742 |
| 7 | Taffarel | 0.697 | 6 | 4.939 |
| 8 | Hugo Lloris | 0.630 | 6 | 4.926 |
| 9 | Gilmar | 0.758 | 6 | 4.952 |
| 10 | Jan Jongbloed | 1.000 | 2 | 1.800 |
| 11 | Leao | 0.871 | 1 | 0.974 |
| 12 | Fernando Muslera | 0.662 | 1 | 0.932 |
The Modern Kings: Casillas, Neuer, and Barthez
Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer, and Fabien Barthez all achieved a perfect “Industry Insight” score. Casillas is ranked first on the SB Market Index with a score of 8.124, followed by Neuer with 8.111 and Barthez, who comes in at third place with 8.192.
Iker Casillas, nicknamed “San Iker” for his miraculous saves, was gifted with extraordinary athleticism, quick reactions, and formidable shot-stopping abilities. He captained the Spanish national team to its first-ever World Cup title in 2010 and was always a mainstay for his country until his retirement. Casillas registered seven clean sheets in 17 FIFA World Cup appearances to tally a SB Score of 0.622.
Neuer, nicknamed “Manu” or “Snapper,” is one of the few revolutionary goalkeepers to have ever graced the football field. He has made the “sweeper-keeper” the dominant form of the last decade. Aside from his exceptional shot-stopping abilities, Neuer boasts otherworldly technical skills that allow him to play the ball out from tight spaces and even fool opposing players on the dribble, as well as being dominant in the air. He is the prototype modern-day goalkeeper. He has 7 clean sheets in 19 FIFA World Cup appearances, a tournament he won with the German National team in 2014. Neuer registers an SB Score of 0.556.
Fabien Barthez “Le Divin Chauve”, which translates to “The Divine Bald One” in English, referring to his trademark shaved head and excellent goalkeeping skills. Barthez was a nuisance to opposing strikers with his goalkeeping ability, often frustrating opponents, and his eccentric style proved to be entertaining to fans of both sides. Barthez kept ten clean sheets in 17 FIFA World Cup appearances to tally an SB Score of 0.959. He was an integral part of France’s victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
The German Wall: Sepp Maier
Sepp Maier, nicknamed “Die Katze von Anzing,” which translates to “the cat from Anzing” in English, is one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history. Maier had it all: fast reflexes, agility, flexibility, speed, and consistency. He dominated his penalty box and had an impeccable sense of humour that endeared him to fans.
Maier won the 1974 FIFA World Cup with West Germany on home soil. In total, he kept eight clean sheets in 18 FIFA World Cup appearances and garnered an SB Score of 0.697. Maier ranks fourth on the SB Market Index with a score of 7.339 and registers a flawless “Industry Insight” score of ten.
The Statistical Standout: Jan Jongbloed
Jan Jongbloed had two nicknames. “The Flying Dutchman” attributed to his aggressive style of play and willingness to step out of the goal, which perfectly embodied the spirit of Dutch Total Football, and “Goalkeeper with the number 8” a reference to the outfield shirt number he sometimes wore, which further symbolized his role as an attacking, offensive keeper who collaborated in the team's build-up play.
Jongbloed leads the SB Score chart with a score of 1.000, which was made possible due to his incredible clean sheet ratio of eight clean sheets in 12 FIFA World Cup appearances. Unfortunately, he only received two runner-up medals with the Dutch at the two World Cups he participated in. He is tenth on the SB market Index with 1.800 and tallies a low “Industry Insight” score of two.
Conclusion on the World Cup’s Safest Hands
The goalkeeping role has never been as crucial as it currently is, as its importance is amplified in modern football by its roles in initiating attacks through precise ball distribution, organising the defence by directing teammates, and acting as a sweeper when needed. This is evident as the role has evolved significantly from the early days of the FIFA World Cup, with modern goalkeepers incorporating a blend of tactical and technical skills, aerial dominance, psychological intimidation, and leadership skills. It’s for this reason that our SB comparison model heavily favours expert perception of modern-era World Cup winners, crowning Casillas, Neuer, and Barthez as the three greatest goalkeepers in the tournament.
The future of the goalkeeping role is mysterious as modern football philosophies continue to demand more goalkeepers, but one thing that is certain is that, for one to succeed as a great goalkeeper at the biggest stage, unique skill is paramount, as well as the ability to adapt and defuse pressure.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.