Goalkeepers have helped teams win titles when it comes to saving and putting their bodies on the line to avoid opponents from putting the ball into the net.
Manuel Neuer
The German goalkeeper is one of the greatest goalkeepers of the 21st century. Neuer has won all the available titles in his career. He has recorded 353 “clean sheets” in his career. Neuer is the goalkeeper with the highest number of clean sheets in the Bundesliga.
He has one of the craziest goalkeeping abilities in football. He is capable of rushing out to stop opponents’ attacks and make it easy for defenders, who don’t have to be stressed out to deal with attackers.
He won the German player of the year award in 2011 and 2014. Neuer won the World Cup in 2014 after Germany defeated Argentina in the final.
The goalkeeper also won the Champions League on two different occasions and two FIFA Club World Cups with Bayern Munich.
Neuer won 10 Bundesliga titles, two UEFA Super Cups, six DFL Pokal, and seven German Super Cups with Bayern Munich. In 2009, he won the U-21 European title with Germany.
While he was with Schalke 04, Neuer won the U-17 Bundesliga title and the U-19 German Cup.
2. Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is considered as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Casillas is the only goalkeeper with more than 100 international clean sheets. He won 19 trophies in his club career.
The goalkeeper won the World Cup and the European title in 2008 and 2012. He was named the best goalkeeper in the world five times on different occasions. The goalkeeper had 440 clean sheets.
He received 32 yellow cards and three red cards in his career. Throughout his career, he has also saved a total of 23 penalties.
He won the U-16 European national title. Casillas also won the Portuguese Super Cup with Porto in 2016 and 2019. In addition, he won the Portuguese Super League title in the 2017/18 season.
He was an Intercontinental Cup winner on two different occasions with Real Madrid. Also, he won the Spanish Super Cup on four different occasions with the Spanish giant.
Casillas also won two Copa Del Rey titles and two UEFA Super Cups. The Spanish goalkeeper won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, and one FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid.
In 1999, the goalkeeper also won the U-20 European title with Spain.
- Gianluigi Buffon
The Italian international still has the highest number of wins in the history of football, ahead of Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas. He is currently the goalkeeper for FC Parma in Italy.
Buffon won the World Cup in 2006 with Italy and numerous Serie A titles with Juventus.
The goalkeeper, however, failed to win the Champions League after they were eliminated twice by Real Madrid. Buffon has won just two Golden Gloves in his career so far.
However, he has 501 clean sheets, which is the most in Europe for the 21st century. The goalkeeper has saved 30 penalties so far in his career.
He was named the best player in Europe in 2023. Buffon was named the Italian footballer of the year in 2017. In the 2015-16 season, he was named Juventus player of the year.
The goalkeeper won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus. Also, Buffon got only the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.
Buffon won the Europa League title with Parma in 1997/98. He won the Italian Cup on six different occasions.
He won the Italian Super Cup seven times. In 1996, Buffon won the U-21 European title with Italy. In 2018–19, Buffon won the French Super Cup with Paris Saint-Germain.
4.Petr Cech
Without a doubt in the 21st century, Cech is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. When you talk about a goalkeeper with good reflexes, Cech should be mentioned countless times.
The Czech Republic goalkeeper became one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League due to his stats. He is not the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the world, but he did get 202 before his retirement.
Cech is the goalkeeper with Chelsea’s highest number of clean sheets. In the 2005–06 season, he conceded just 15 goals in the Premier League.
He was the only goalkeeper in the Premier League to concede a goal in 1,000 minutes.
He won the Czech Republic’s player of the year award on seven different occasions. In the 2011–12 season, he won the Champions League with Chelsea.
Also, Cech won the Premier League title four times, three Carabao Cups, and four Community Shields with Chelsea. In addition, in 2013/14, he won the Europa League with the London club.
The goalkeeper also won five FA Cup titles with Chelsea and Arsenal. When he moved to Arsenal, he won two Community Shields. In 2002, the goalkeeper won the U-21 European title with the Czech Republic.
