FIFA World Cup 2018: Top 5 goalkeepers ranked by clean sheets kept

#5 Igor Akinfeev - Russia

Igor Akinfeev making a superb save from point-blank range

Matches: 44

Clean Sheets: 22

Goals Conceded: 39

The Russian number 1 has spent quite some time on the edge of the elite and not so elite bracket of goalkeepers. For some, he is the textbook example of world football's ignorance of players from outside Europe's top five leagues.

For others, he is an above average goalkeeper who has made a name for himself in a league which is not quite at par with those of the elites.

Whichever side you might be in this debate, there is no denying of his apparent quality in between the post. A CSKA Moscow legend and one of the biggest hopes of the host nation, Akinfeev kept 22 clean sheets in all competition for club and country in the 2017-18 season.

While there are other goalkeepers too who have kept the same number of clean sheets, it's the league in which he plays that has seen some points being deducted from his favour.

Nonetheless, Akinfeev is a solid goalkeeper, a bit error-prone from time to time, yet one of the most experienced and reliable goalkeepers of the tournament.