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#3 Keylor Navas
Costa Rican Keylor Navas might be one of the most underappreciated footballers, if not goalkeepers, in all of world football. Having burst into the spotlight with Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup with outstanding performances against England and Italy, Real Madrid came calling.
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Much like Iker Casillas, the man he was groomed to replace, Navas was on the shorter side for a goalkeeper. He too made up for his stature with a springing jump and outstanding ability.
It may sound ludicrous to call a three-time Champions League-winning goalkeeper underrated. But Navas has been overlooked for bigger, brighter names such as David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois, with whom Real Madrid eventually replaced him. A move to Paris Saint Germain beckoned, where his impressive performances once again saw him reach the last hurdle of the Champions League trophy.
Like Real Madrid, however, in the summer of 2021, PSG too chose to replace Navas with the star name of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Navas was once again relegated to the bench as perhaps the most overqualified second choice goalkeeper in European football.
#2 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Many eyebrows will be raised at the inclusion of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in this list, who is nevertheless recognized as one of the best in the world.
However, Ter Stegen has never truly received the appropriate acclaim and regard he deserves as the best goalkeeper in the world. The shadow of Leo Messi's constant heroics at the other end of the pitch at Barcelona and that of German captain Manuel Neuer at the national level have seen to it.
The German was signed from Borussia Monchengladbach as a replacement for Victor Valdes. Since then, he has grown by leaps and bounds at the Camp Nou, having fought for his place as No.1 to displace Claudio Bravo.
Aside from his physical ability to make highlight-reel saves, there's also his vast technical proficiency to act as the spare man at the back in building play. Additionally, his outstanding mental conditioning to make quick saves from sudden counter-attacks and loss of possession has been a hallmark of the "Barcelona way".
His most memorable games in a Barcelona shirt include *that* Champions League comeback vs Paris Saint Germain in 2016-17. Not to mention his record-breaking 12 save performances against Real Madrid that same season.
Ter Stegen trophies include four La Liga, one Champions League, five Copa Del Rey and one Club World Cup. His ability has raised the standard for modern-day goalkeeping, but he may unfortunately receive far less credit for it than his peers.
#1 Hugo Lloris
World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris's form and influence on the goalkeeping scenario should have made him one of the Premier keepers in world football. Despite not having won a single trophy at Tottenham Hotspur, the Frenchman continues to remain an integral component of the team. They've performed consistently in European competions through the decade, going as far as reaching the Champions League final in 2019.
Unfortunately, his lack of trophies at the club level leaves Lloris out of best-in-the-world conversations.
Signed from French club Lyon, Lloris' sweeper-keeper playing style was a step up from Premier League custodians such as Petr Cech and Tim Howard's classic shot-stopper style.
His ability to close down angles and suffocate attackers in 1v1 situations was a key part of Tottenham's pressing game to counter an on-rushing forward. This was in addition to his cat-like acrobatics and reflexes that have left many an attacker in disbelief.
