Top 10 Best Goalkeepers in The World 2022

The best goal keepers in the world virtually carry their teams on their back. As legendary manager Jose Mourinho once said; “in order to be a great team, you need to have a great goal keeper.” Without a capable man between the sticks, it is virtually impossible to build team confidence which is a necessary constituent of great performance.

All the great goal keepers today each bring something different to the team; some do the core shot stopping duties exceptionally well, while others contribute to their team’s attacking game help their teams with passing, and with sweeping, therefore allowing their teams concentrate on attacking play.

TOP 10 BEST GOALKEEPERS IN THE WORLD 2022

Rank No.	Goal Keeper Name	Club	Country
1.	Thibaut Coutois	Real Madrid	Belgium
2.	Eduoard Mendy	Chelsea	Senegal
3.	Ederson	Manchester City	Brazil
4.	Alisson	Liverpool	Brazil
5.	Manuel Neuer	Bayen Munich	Germany
6.	David De Gea	Man United	Spain
7.	Mike Maignan	AC Milan	France
8.	Samir Handanovic	Inter	Slovenia
9.	Kevin Trapp	Eintracht Frankfurt	Germany
10.	Yassine Bounou	Sevilla	Morocco

Short details on each keeper;

Top 10 Best Goalkeepers In The World 2022

1. Thibaut Coutois

Club: Real Madrid

Thibaut Coutois was already a very prominent goal keeper before he joined Real Madrid; he was a key figure at Chelsea, and further proved himself in goal for Belgium, before Real Madrid did what they do best, and snatched this mercurial goalkeeper from Chelsea.

On the back of Real Madrid’s recent La Liga and Champions League wins, Thibaut Courtois can lay claim to being the best goalkeeper in the world. However, he is not just a part of the Real Madrid squad that won these accolades; he is arguably the most important part.

No goalkeeper made more saves over the course of the 2021/22 Champions League season. Even in the final; he practically rescued his team; saving more shots than can be counted- including point blank shots from some of the best forwards in the world.

As for agility and reflexes, Thibaut Courtois probably ranks as high as any other goalkeeper on this list; but where he surpasses them all is his intensity. Most other goalkeepers will wear out after a few minutes; but Courtois can cover his lines for 90 minutes, even with average looking defenders playing with him.

2. Edouard Mendy

Club: Chelsea

Eduoard Mendy is a top goalkeeper; when in a decent team he can be superb, as he showed in the recent AFCON win with Senegal. Chelsea is not always a decent team, however, and so it has been hard to see Mendy at his best.

Nevertheless, the Senegal international has proved his salt with some spectacular saves already, and his presence is a real confidence booster.

Just last season he was mentioned in the same sentence with some of the most coveted awards in football. His ratings were boosted by his team’s performances, and by the trophies they won. However, the tide has turned against the team as a whole, and so despite his brilliant performances, Edouard Mendy finds himself falling down the pecking order.

3. Ederson

Club: Manchester City

Ederson is a brilliant, confident, and daring goalkeeper. On his day, it would be difficult to find someone better than him. Ederson is the kind of goalkeeper that instills absolute confidence in his team mates; they press forward, maintaining a high defensive line because they know they have a brick wall at the back.

He continues to contest for the golden gloves every season with impressive numbers of clean sheets; and this is perhaps the reason why his team is always top of the table.

But clean sheets are not all that Ederson brings to the table; he actively participates in the build up play. Ederson is so good with the ball that he would do well as a midfielder. He exchanges passes with his team mates at the back to wear down opponent attackers, and to set his team up on the forward motion.

There is no better passer of the ball who plays as a goalkeeper, anywhere in the world than Ederson.

4. Alisson

Club: Liverpool

Alisson has been dubbed the best goalkeeper in England, Europe, and the World recently, but has had to suffer the indignity of falling down the pecking order due to some dismal performances in recent times.

In truth, Alisson has probably not been the cause of Liverpool’s stumble; the whole team has been in wobbly form in recent times, perhaps as a result of the departure of one of the pillars that has held up the team.

Lacking the fire power provided by Sadio Mane, the team seems to be reacting the way a structure does when a pillar is removed- wobbling. With no attacking threat; Liverpool has suddenly found itself in an unfamiliar position; one in which it has to soak much more pressure than it would like.

5. Manuel Neuer

Club: Bayern

Manuel Neuer is one of the best goalkeepers in the world; he will be remembered as arguably the best in his generation. He finished third at the 2014 Ballon d’Or, and has an impressive trophy collection.

However, this great goalkeeper fell on hard times; he suffered recurring foot injuries, and this took a toll on him physically as well as mentally. However, real football minds never doubted that Manuel Neuer had it in him; and his revival was never really a surprise.

Having led Bayern Munich to a record breaking tenth consecutive Bundesliga title; and having the joint highest number of clean sheets in the process, all eyes are back on Germany’s Manuel Neuer.

However, it must be stated that Bayern Munich do not play defensively- if they did, Manuel Neuer would probably have a lot more clean sheets. They maintain a high defensive line; deploying Manuel Neuer as a sweeper.

6. David De Gea

Club: Manchester United

David De Gea is still one of the world’s best shot-stoppers at the moment, and ironically this fact is proved by the fact that he plays at a rubbish club. He made the third most saves in the premier league, and saved the joint most penalties. He has had a very hard time playing at a team with such a porous defense.

David De Gea, has been one of the main reasons why Manchester United did not capitulate completely; even when the team has collapsed; finding it hard to string a couple of passes together. He has largely held up the team as a pillar, preventing opponents from simply strolling into the goal.

7. Mike Maignan

Club: AC Milan

Mike Maignan is not just one of the best goalkeepers because he won the Serie A; he has been a pivotal member of the team. The Frenchman has been as solid as a wall for AC Milan; he has kept the most clean-sheets (17) in the Italian top-flight in the last season.

He has remained unsurpassed when it comes to shot saving in the league; which has given the team the confidence to press forward in search of the wins.

AC Milan has already proven to be a solid team in the Serie A; and the team is already remind the rest of Europe why it was once the most feared club in the world.

8. Samir Handanovic

Club:  Inter

Samir Handanovic is a fine goalkeeper; he has been at the forefront of Inter Milan’s charge for glory. Having recently won the league title, a second win would have provided extra bragging rights, and extra confidence as the dominant team in Italy. Samir Handanovic only fell short to Mike Maignan listed above; and it is going to be very difficult to outdo him in Serie A.

Samir Handanovic has excellent positioning; and he is very good at reading the game. As for sharp reflexes, he probably ranks as high as Eduoard Mendy, and he has saved a few penalties to show his abilities.

9. Kevin Trapp

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintrecht Frankfurt’s star goal keeper is on the rader of so many clubs; it is going to be very difficult for the club to keep this man for the long term. Kevin Trapp’s 119th minute block against Rangers in the Europa League final shows that he has the concentration and intensity of the very best goalkeepers in the world.

Having won the Europa Cup recently, and playing a big part in the accolade, Kevin Trapp’s stock has gone up astronomically. He made save after save, and probably saved his team from being outmuscled. This is the kind of goal keeper that every top team is looking for.

10. Yassine Bounou

Club: Sevilla

Yassine Bounou of Morocco and Sevilla has become very prominent as a goalkeeper in recent times. He ended the 2021/22 season with the best shot to save ratio in La Liga, and produced some spectacular saves to boost his ratings. Yassine Bounou and Sevila produced more clean sheets than anyone else in La Liga, and he was a key figure in the team’s recent run of form.

Yassine Bounou has imposed himself on the game; he gives his team mates that freedom to get forward in search of goals. He has been a pivotal part of the team that has once again emerged as Champions League materials.

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Closing

The best goal keepers in the world first have to be excellent shot stoppers, and then they have to contribute to the overall play and attitude of the team. In this era; goal keepers actively contribute to the build-up, even racking up goals and assists.

However, if the team performs poorly, or if their core duties as goal keepers suffers as a result of these contributions, then their rating as goal keepers suffer as well.