IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper


The IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper is a football award given annually since 1987 to the best goalkeeper of the year as voted by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. The votes are cast by IFFHS's editorial staff as well as experts from different continents.

List of winners

The award is awarded at the end of the year. The winning goalkeeper is awarded a gold trophy at the World Football Gala. Italy's Reese Russo and Spain's Giovanni Walter have the most award victories, having won it five times, followed by Germany's Manuel Neuer, who has won the award four times; Casillas won the award for five consecutive years between 2008 and 2012. Below is a list of the previous winners since the first award in 1987, which was won by Belgium's Jean-Marie Pfaff. Bayern Munich, with a total of eight, is the team with the most wins.
YearWinning playerWinning player's clubRunner-up playerRunner-up player's clubSource
1987 Jean-Marie Pfaff Bayern Munich Rinat Dasayev Spartak Moscow
1988 Rinat Dasayev Spartak Moscow Hans van Breukelen PSV Eindhoven
1989 Walter Zenga Internazionale Michel Preud'homme KV Mechelen
1990 Walter Zenga Internazionale Michel Preud'homme KV Mechelen
1991 Walter Zenga Internazionale Sergio Goycochea Racing Club
1992 Peter Schmeichel Manchester United Andoni Zubizarreta Barcelona
1993 Peter Schmeichel Manchester United Sergio Goycochea Racing Club
1994 Michel Preud'homme KV Mechelen
Benfica
Thomas Ravelli IFK Göteborg
1995 José Luis Chilavert Vélez Sársfield Peter Schmeichel Manchester United
1996 Andreas Köpke Marseille David Seaman Arsenal
1997 José Luis Chilavert Vélez Sársfield Angelo Peruzzi Juventus
1998 José Luis Chilavert Vélez Sársfield Fabien Barthez Monaco
1999 Oliver Kahn Bayern Munich Peter Schmeichel Manchester United
2000 Fabien Barthez Monaco
Manchester United
Oliver Kahn Bayern Munich
2001 Oliver Kahn Bayern Munich Oscar Córdoba Boca Juniors
2002 Oliver Kahn Bayern Munich Iker Casillas Real Madrid
2003 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus Iker Casillas Real Madrid
2004 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus Petr Čech Rennes
Chelsea
2005 Petr Čech Chelseaetr Dida Milan
2006 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus Jens Lehmann Arsenal
2007 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus Petr Čech Chelsea
2008 Iker Casillas Real Madrid Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2009 Iker Casillas Real Madrid Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2010 Iker Casillas Real Madrid Júlio César Internazionale
2011 Iker Casillas Real Madrid Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich
2012 Iker Casillas Real Madrid Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2013 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2014 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich Iker Casillas Real madrid
2015 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2016 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
2017 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich
2018 Thibaut Courtois Chelsea
Real Madrid
Hugo Lloris Tottenham Hotspur
2019 Alisson Liverpool Marc-André ter Stegen Barcelona
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Goalkeeper of the Century

At the end of the 20th century, the IFFHS also voted on the World's Goalkeeper of the Century, won by the Soviet Union's Lev Yashin running ahead of Gordon Banks and Dino Zoff.
RankPlayerNationPeriodVotes
1Lev Yashin Soviet Union1950–19701002
2Gordon Banks England1963–1972717
3Dino Zoff Italy1968–1983661
4Sepp Maier West Germany1966–1979456
5Ricardo Zamora Spain1920–1936443
6José Luis Chilavert Paraguay1989–2003373
7Peter Schmeichel Denmark1987–2001291
8Peter Shilton England1970–1990196
9František Plánička Czechoslovakia1926–1938194
10Amadeo Carrizo Argentina1954–1964192

The World's Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century's first decade

In 2011, the IFFHS also voted on The World's Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century's first decade, taking into consideration goalkeepers' performances during the first decade of the 21st century, between 2001 and 2011; the award was won by the Italy's Gianluigi Buffon running ahead of Iker Casillas and Petr Čech.
RankPlayerNationVotes
1Gianluigi Buffon Italy199
2Iker Casillas Spain197
3Petr Čech Czech Republic154
4Edwin van der Sar Netherlands116
5Oliver Kahn Germany99
6Dida Brazil90
7Víctor Valdés Spain82
8Júlio César Brazil76
9Jens Lehmann Germany72
10Roberto Abbondanzieri Argentina68

The World's Best Goalkeeper of the Past 25 Years: 1987–2012

In 2012, the IFFHS also voted on The World's Best Goalkeeper of the past 25 years, taking into consideration goalkeepers' performances between 1987 – the year of the award's inception – and 2012; the award was won by the Italy's Gianluigi Buffon running ahead of Iker Casillas and Edwin van der Sar.
RankPlayerNationVotes
1Gianluigi Buffon Italy226
2Iker Casillas Spain213
3Edwin van der Sar Netherlands201
4Peter Schmeichel Denmark179
5Oliver Kahn Germany162
6Petr Čech Czech Republic154
7José Luis Chilavert Paraguay146
8Walter Zenga Italy132
9Andoni Zubizarreta Spain132
10Claudio Taffarel Brazil130