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Yearender 2020: Five best goalkeepers in the world in this year

Goalkeepers have always been the least celebrated players throughout the history of football and there are very few exceptions to it. In this article, we will take a look at five of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Yearender 2020: Five best goalkeepers in the world in this year

New Delhi, Dec 16: Goalkeepers have always been the least celebrated players throughout the history of football and there are very few exceptions to it. However, in modern football, they are gradually getting the attention they have always deserved and we have also seen the position evolve to a great extent over the last decade or so.

Nowadays, almost every manager wants their custodians to be good with their feet too. Once upon a time, they used to be just the last line of defence but now most top keepers act as the first line of attack as well.

In this article, we will take a look at five of the best goalkeepers in the world during the year 2020:

5. Thibaut Courtois - Real Madrid

Moving to a club like Real Madrid can be difficult to even the best players in the world and exactly that happened with Thiubaut Courtois in his first season at Real Madrid. However, he is a top footballer and he proved that with a comeback as he was top notch for the Los Blancos during the 2019-20 season.

The Belgian was crucial for Real Madrid as they marched their way to the La Liga title and won the Zamora Trophy after securing 18 clean sheets in 34 games, a feat last achieved by Francisco Buyo in 1994–95. In the 2020-21 season so far, Courtois has been one of the best players for Real Madrid who have struggled for consistency.

4. Jan Oblak - Atletico Madrid

Arguably the best shot-stopper in the world right now, Jan Oblak has been one of the standout performers under the bar for many years now and the 2020 year was no exception. The Slovenian hardly ever has a bad day in office and 2020 was a memorable year for him as he touched a landmark and broke the long lasting record of Miguel Reina by becoming the fastest goalkeeper to achieve 100 clean sheets in La Liga history. In the 2019-2020 season, he kept 22 clean sheets in 49 games for Atletico Madrid across all competitions and he has been equally good this season for Diego Simeone's side as they sit top of the La Liga table.

3. Keylor Navas - Paris Saint-Germain

Keylor Navas has been a goalkeeper who has been immense over the last few years but never got his due recognition. The Costa Rica international moved to PSG in the summer of 2019 and has solved the French giants' long-term issue between the sticks with plenty of ease. He won the Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue with PSG in his debut season and also helped the French capital club to reach the final of the Champions League. Last season, Navas matched former Barcelona star Rafael Marquez's record for most trophies in Europe for a CONCACAF player with 15 titles to his name.

2. Alisson Becker - Liverpool

One of the most technically gifted and complete goalkeepers in the world, Alisson Becker had a memorable year in 2020. The Brazilian has struggled with a series of injuries over the years but whenever he has featured in the Liverpool side, he showed why he is regarded as one of the best keepers in the world and won the Yashin Trophy in 2019. Liverpool have been so good as a team in recent times, contributions of the keeper often go unnoticed but that has not been the case with Alisson as he makes the team a whole lot stronger.

1. Manuel Neuer - Bayern Munich

Manuel Neuer has easily been the best goalkeeper in the world since his compatriot Oliver Kahn and the 34-year-old has completely redefined the definition of goalkeeper with his exceptional sweeping ability. Neuer's struggles with injuries over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 season took his stocks down but the German international showed the world why he is special as he led Bayern to a historic season in 2019-20.

Neuer won every trophy with Bayern last season and was phenomenally good in the final against PSG. If not for him, the score line could have been different. Even at the age of 34, Neuer still remains the standout goalkeeper in the world and he deserves every bit of appreciation for that.

Story first published: Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 16:18 [IST]
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