Who are the best goalkeepers currently in the world?

The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.

BILL RUSSELL

The goalkeeper is the one position where if you do make a mistake, it appears to be a flashy mistake because the ball is in the back of the net and if a forward makes a mistake there are 10 other players behind them but if you are the last man standing between the poles there isn’t that luxury.

It takes a different makeup, along with confidence, to step in between the poles. It is said that Goalkeeping is the toughest position in sports to play.

So being the best in the world of the toughest position to play in sports needs some recognition. So, following is my pick for the top 5 goalkeepers in the season.

#5 Ederson Moraes

The Brazilian started his career at Sao Paulo and came in light at Benfica where he made 37 career appearances and made some unbelievable saves. Then, In 2017–18 season, Ederson joined English club Manchester City for record fee £35 million and made his international debut for Brazil in 2017.

He is an agile, courageous, energetic, and physically imposing keeper and good or maybe the best with both of his feet. He has that accurate piece of passing and control that every attacker would desire for. He has a phenomenal technique and goal-kick that can assist the forwards. Also, he is very calm for his age, good at the field in 1 to 1 and has incredible air game. Alongside his acrobatic shot-stopping abilities, he has qualities central to Manchester City’s surface-changing strategy. The Sky Blues always play out from the back, unless he picks out a striker with a precise ball over the top, and the Brazilian’s ball-playing abilities nearly correspond to those of an outfield player. He played an important part in the season 2017–18 which helped man city to lift premier league trophy.

#4 Alisson Becker

Alisson began his career at Internacional, where he made over 100 appearances and won the CampeonatoGaúcho in each of his four seasons at the club. In 2016, he completed an €8 million transfer to Roma where he went on to be one of the best players in the world.

I remember his performance in Roma’s comeback against FC Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League he was just unbelievable that day with his flying saves he somewhat dominated against Barca's front three.

He was praised for his performances in the UEFA Champions League and played a key role in the club's campaign in which they reached the semi-finals. The club didn't concede a single goal at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League, until the match against Liverpool in the semi-finals on 2 May 2018, which they won 4–2 on the night, but lost 7–6 on aggregate. Alisson received praise for his performances throughout the 2017–18 season. He kept a total of 22 clean sheets across the 2017–18 season, keeping 17 clean sheets in the league and 5 clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League.

In July 2018, he signed for Liverpool for an initial fee of €62.5 million (£56m) and what a sensational signing he has proved to be as he has solved Liverpool’s problem over the years of the goalkeeping spot and has made them real contenders for the top titles. Now this might not go well with some of you and will surely argue that he should be ranked as the best in the world currently on the basis of his current performances and I agree to some point by watching some of his performances and to adapt to EPL so quickly that require some real quality but those who are ranked above him are doing this from few last seasons consistently.

#3 Marc-André-ter Stegen

Starting as a goalkeeper as a kid was just by chance as there was no goalkeeper in his team. Although he wanted to become a striker the destiny was already decided for him as a fab goalkeeper. Starting his professional career at Mönchengladbach. He was signed by Barca as a reserve goalkeeper after which he became the number 1 for Barca.

He is a tall, agile and consistent goalkeeper, with quick reflexes, good decision-making and excellent shot-stopping abilities; he is also strong in the air, good in one-on-one situations and effective at communicating with the back-line courtesy of his strong personality. Due to his speed when rushing off his line, he is able to anticipate opponents outside the area who have beaten the offside trap. Being highly competent with the ball at his feet, he is known for his control and accurate distribution of the ball and often functions as a sweeper-keeper and his ability to play the ball out from the back makes him one of the best.

He won the treble in his first season in Spain, playing for Barcelona in Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League.

I personally think Barcelona’s Marc-Andre Ter-Stegen is one of the world’s most underrated goalkeeper. Every single time when questions about his qualities had been asked he had shut them all with some tremendous performances. He is arguably the most improved goalkeeper I have seen in last two to three seasons.

He is highly underrated and is lacking chances at international stage due to Germany’s first choice keeper Manuel Neuer. He has been doing excellent work in Barcelona and is regarded as one of the best. He has proved himself in Spanish League as well as in Champions League

#2 Jan Oblak

My second pick will be Jan Oblak. He plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid and the Slovenia national team. Every time he plays, he emerges the best because he may not be the as influential as others in the list but for me, the first thing a goalkeeper should have is the shot stopping and you will rarely find him making him any mistakes and that stands out for him from others and make him one of the best. The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper is blessed with gymnastic skills that leave onlookers in awe, the Rojiblancos poached him from Benfica for a record fee of €16m in 2014. Since then, the Slovenian shot-stopper has left every other La Liga goal-keeper in the dust and taken his market value to the highest level.

He was part of the Benfica team that won the domestic treble in the 2013–14 season. In 2015–16 he won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for best goalkeeper, conceding an all-time record low of 18 goals. He won the award again in the following two seasons. Oblak was also nominated for the 2017 and 2018 Ballon d'Or award, following his consistent performances with his club. He also won three major titles with the club, including the 2018 UEFA Super Cup by defeating city rivals Real Madrid.

A good goalie allows the team to be more confident. There’s that sense that you can make a mistake and you have someone who can back you up. It’s not shouted out. It’s just a sense and one of those important intangibles.

He is known for his reflexes and his control of balls in the air. He has been a key to Simone’s side, The 25-year-old keeper has made around 191 appearances for Athletico Madrid in the La Liga Santander.

#1 David de Gea

Who else for the first spot other than this guy. Starting his footballing days at Athletico Madrid’s youth academy and now the best player in the world and at one of the biggest club in the world.

It is said that Sir Alex Ferguson missed only 2 days of his coaching job at Manchester United, One was for his son's marriage and other was to scout David de Gea and that says it all when a manager of his standards who has managed some of the greatest players of all time has chosen you then you have some serious talent. He has unbelievable jaw-dropping shot-stopping skills and amazing supreme reflexes and but some of the saves he has made that doesn’t seem to be possible they are just out of this world.

He had won a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup, three Community Shields and the UEFA Europa League. For three consecutive seasons he was elected as United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, the first player in the award's history to win on three successive occasions (four in total), as well as being included in four consecutive (five in total) PFA Team of the Year sides from 2015 to 2018. In 2018 he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI.

An elegant and athletic keeper he is known in particular for his outstanding reflexes, agility, and shot-stopping ability between the posts, which enable him to produce acrobatic dives and spectacular saves. He has also stood for his consistency, composure, leadership, and his positional sense. Furthermore, he is also highly regarded for his speed when rushing off his line in one on one situations, which also enables him to function as a sweeper-keeper.

He is undoubtedly currently one of the best goalkeepers. The ‘Messi' of goalkeepers in the world. His rise to stardom in the Premier League is stunning, from an error-prone, weak looking youngster to being 5 times in the PFA Team of the Year shows his mental strength and that being said, I believe there are many more factors to consider him to actually be crowned best goalkeeper on the globe.

Edited by Kingshuk Kusari