For a team to stand any chance of prolonged success, they need a serviceable goalkeeper in between the sticks. There’s a ceiling on the heights a team can reach if they aren’t protected at the back by an elite shot-stopper.

Finding an elite keeper can be difficult, though, with there being a very select group of truly exceptional goalies in the world right now, and here are the very best 15.

15.David Raya

Following Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021, David Raya has taken his game to a whole other level as he has helped the side establish themselves as a formidable top-division side.

His shot-stopping is some of the best in the world, and he’s attracted attention from a number of elite sides, with Tottenham Hotspur firmly pursuing his services this summer.

It remains to be seen whether he’ll still be at Brentford when the season starts in August, but it’s safe to say that the club will be considerably worse off if he isn’t.

14.Nick Pope

After suffering relegation with Burnley, Nick Pope made the move to Newcastle and was influential in the club’s incredible campaign last season.

The Englishman commands his defence like few others can and his dominating presence inside the area pretty much nullifies opposition sides and their aerial attacks.

As the Magpies embark on their first Champions League campaign in two decades next season, expect Pope to once again be instrumental to the club’s success.

13.Yann Sommer

After nine impressive years with Borussia Monchengladbach, Yann Sommer made the move to Bayern Munich in January and did an excellent job replacing the injured Manuel Neuer.

He churned out solid performances in between the stick as he helped the Bundesliga giants retain the league for the 11th straight year. Replacing a legend like Neuer is no easy feat, but Sommer really filled the role impressively and it will be interesting to see what his future holds once Bayern’s number one comes back.

12.Aaron Ramsdale

A few eyebrows were raised when Arsenal splashed the cash to sign Aaron Ramsdale following Sheffield United’s relegation in 2021, but he’s more than repaid the Gunners’ faith in him already.

The keeper is a superb shot-stopper and has pulled out some incredible saves as Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premier League last season and secured a return to the Champions League. No one is questioning the Gunners’ purchase of Ramsdale anymore.

11.Gianluigi Donnarumma

When he first burst onto the scene, it seemed inevitable that Gianluigi Donnarumma would be the best goalkeeper in the world one day. He’s not quite there yet and hasn’t had the best of times at Paris Saint-Germain following his move from AC Milan in 2021, but there’s still plenty of time for him to reach the very top.

After struggling to break into PSG’s first-team during his first year at the club, he became the club’s number-one keeper last season and his future at the club is heading in the right direction. On his day, he’s one of the most impressive goalkeepers in the world and looks unbeatable at times.

He was also vital to Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph, with a number of fantastic performances throughout the tournament. Despite all of this, it feels as though he hasn’t quite realised his potential yet, so he doesn’t quite make the top 10.

10.Yassine Bounou

After some heroic performances for Morocco in the 2022 World Cup last season, many really began to take notice of Yasine Bounou as he emerged as one of the best shot-stoppers in Spain.

His impact on Sevilla was never more apparent than during the Europa League final when his penalty shootout heroics helped the club win the competition for a record seventh time. Numerous clubs around Europe have taken notice of the impressive goalkeeper, with PSG reportedly interested in acquiring his services this summer.

9.Manuel Neuer

One of the best keepers in the world for almost two decades, Manuel Neuer is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

The German helped reinvent the role of the goalkeeper, and is still one of the very best sweeper keepers in the sport. After an injury ruled him out of the second half of last season, it remains to be seen whether he’ll return at his best, but from what he’s shown throughout his career, he’s still pretty comfortably one of the top 10 best keepers in the world.

8. Jan Oblak

While he wasn’t quite at his best last season, there’s no denying just how great a goalkeeper Jan Oblak is.

The Slovenian international has been instrumental to Atletico Madrid’s success over the years and has looked unbeatable at times. Having won the La Liga Zamora trophy five times, his accolades speak for themselves, and he’d likely be higher on this list if he hadn’t struggled so much recently.

Expect to see him bounce back next season, though, as you can’t keep an elite shot-stopper down for long.

7. Andre Onana

It appears that Manchester United have found a long-term solution to their goalkeeping issues as Inter Milan’s Andre Onana is poised to sign with the Red Devils this summer and what a signing he’ll be.

There are few keepers in the world who are as comfortable and as effective as the former Cameroon international with the ball at his feet. He suits Erik ten Hag’s style of play perfectly and the move looks to be a match made in heaven. His tendency to carry the ball up the pitch and play a significant role in creating chances for his side will also be a huge addition to United, as well as his ability to pull off some miraculous saves when the situation calls for it.

6. Emi Martinez

Emi Martinez’s rise in football seemingly came out of nowhere, with the goalkeeper benefitting from an injury to Bernd Leno during his time at Arsenal. After several months stealing the show for the Gunners, Martinez moved to Aston Villa where he has since remained pretty fantastic.

His exploits for the Midlands club have even seen him emerge as Argentina’s number one goalkeeper, with the 30-year-old playing a significant role in the country’s triumph at the 2022 World Cup. His wild antics have won him fans around the world, while others hate him for it, but there’s no denying just how effective he is.

5. Mike Maignan

Losing a keeper like Donnarumma could have spelt disaster for Milan when he joined PSG in 2021. Luckily, though, the Italian side bagged Mike Maignan who quickly proved to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Having joined from Lille, the 28-year-old played a crucial role in Milan winning their first Serie A title in over a decade, with 17 clean sheets to his name. He even won the Serie A Best Goalkeeper award that season and while things didn’t go quite as smoothly last time out, he’s still comfortably the best goalkeeper in Italy and one of the best in the world.

4.Ederson

After searching for what felt like years, Man City bagged their ideal goalkeeper in Ederson, and the results have been undeniably brilliant.

The Brazilian suits Pep Guardiola’s approach to the game to a tee and he has helped transform the way City play. The success they’ve achieved together has been undeniable too, with the 29-year-old winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy among many others.

There aren’t many outfield players that are quite as impressive with the ball at their feet as Ederson, but he’s also shown his ability to make some game-changing saves, with his heroics against Real Madrid and Inter last season leading the Cityzens to their first ever Champions League triumph.

3. Marc-Andre ter Stegen

While there’s been quite a lot of upheaval and uncertainty at Barcelona in recent years, one thing has been constant for the club during that time and that was Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s consistently brilliant performances in goal.

With some exceptional reflexes and top-level distribution, the keeper is vital to the club and while they’re in a period of rebuilding, it’s safe to assume their goalkeeper role is locked down for the foreseeable future with the Slovenian shot-stopper still one of the very best. His performances between the sticks were significant last season as he won the La Liga Zamora trophy with Barcelona emerging as La Liga champions.

2.Alisson Becker

Never has the arrival of a goalkeeper transformed a club in the way that Alisson Becker’s move to Liverpool did for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

After years of struggling to find a suitable number one, the Reds turned to AS Roma’s Alisson and the move has been a resounding success. He immediately tightened things up at the back and has been a game-changer on numerous occasions as the club has won everything there is to win in the years following.

He even managed to get on the scoresheet, with his last-minute goal against West Bromwich Albion several seasons back helping secure Champions League football for the club. Having cost £70m, eyebrows were raised when Alisson made the move to Anfield, but considering how big an upgrade he has proven to be on Loris Karius, and the many big saves he’s pulled off as the club has reached heights they haven’t seen in decades, it looks like a bargain of a deal now.

1.Thibaut Courtois

Following his move to Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018, things didn’t get off to the best of starts for Thibaut Courtois in Spain, with the keeper struggling to really make an impact at the side.

His fortunes soon picked up, though, and over the last few seasons, his incredible exploits in goal have been integral to Madrid’s success. There are no finer examples of this than his incredible saves in the 2021 Champions League final that helped the Los Blancos lift the trophy for a record 14th time.

His performances at the club have been nothing short of tremendous for several seasons now and there’s no question, he’s the number one goalkeeper in the world right now.