Ranking the Top 20 Goalkeepers in World Football

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They say you have to be a little bit crazy to be a great goalkeeper, so if that's the case, these 20 characters must be borderline insane.

With the extreme competitive nature of football these days, deciding who the best of the best is will always be subject to opinion and debate.

Nevertheless, here are the 20 best goalkeepers in the world today (ranked).

20. David De Gea

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David De Gea endured a tough start to life at Manchester United.

Widely tipped to be the next long-term goalkeeper of Spain, De Gea has overcome his original nervy persona to establish himself as a worthy successor to the retired Edwin Van Der Sar.

19. Wojciech Szczesny

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Wojciech Szczesny solved a big problem for Arsenal when he became Arsene Wenger's number one choice.

There were serious doubts as to where the Gunners would find a top-class goalkeeper to replace the enigmatic Jens Lehmann, but little did they know that Wojciech Szczesny would be up to the task.

The 22-year-old has recently found himself part of the Poland national side on a more consistent basis.

18. Tim Howard

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Tim Howard looks set to be Everton and USA's first-choice goalkeeper for quite some time.

Having initially signed for Manchester United, Howard has now found his footing under the less-pressurized atmosphere of Goodison Park.

Howard became just the fourth-ever goalkeeper to score in the Premier League with a strike against Bolton Wanderers.

17. Shay Given

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Aston Villa got a bargain when they paid Manchester City to release Shay Given from his bit-part role at the club.

The Irish international has over 120 caps to his name and has been incredibly consistent throughout his career.

At 36 years old, Given still has some mileage left in the tank.

16. Brad Friedel

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If he had not retired from international football, Brad Friedel may still have been able to force USA's Tim Howard onto the substitutes bench.

Having been so consistent in the Premier League, Friedel was snapped up on a free transfer by Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur—despite being the grand old age of 40 at the time.

Friedel is showing no signs of slowing down.

15. Christian Abbiati

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Christian Abbiati ultimately won the battle with Dida to become the first-choice goalkeeper at AC Milan.

With Milan narrowly missing out on the Serie A title this season, Abbiati will be hoping to show his worth again next season.

14. Diego Lopez

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Diego Lopez fought his way past Uruguayan Sebastián Viera to become the automatic choice for Spanish side Villareal.

Lopez has earned one cap for Spain, but he faces tough competition for the national jersey, with David De Gea, Pepe Reina, Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes all highly capable.

13. Rene Adler

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After losing the Germany No. 1 position to Manuel Neuer in the 2010 World Cup due to injury, Rene Adler has struggled to regain the position as Die Mannschaft's first choice.

Adler recently switched clubs from Bayer Leverkusen to Hamburger SV.

12. Maarten Stekelenburg

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After coming through the Ajax youth system in the Netherlands, Maarten Stekelenburg has gone from strength to strength.

The 29-year-old now plays his club football for Roma in Serie A and is his nation's first-choice goalkeeper with 40 caps to his name thus far.

11. Samir Handanovic

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Slovenia and Udinese's first-choice stopper is 27-year-old Samir Handanovic.

Perhaps not a household name to most of Europe, Handanovic has become a renowned penalty saver and consistent shot-stopper.

Perhaps a bigger club may come calling soon.

10. Fernando Muslera

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Fernando Muslera was selected as the sixth-best goalkeeper in the world by the IFFHS.

Muslera has potential to be one of the best in the world due to his remarkable composure for a 25-year-old.

Currently playing his domestic football for Galatasaray, Muslera is the Uruguay national team's first choice.

9. Julio Cesar

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Julio Cesar is still going strong for Inter Milan at 32 years of age.

The Brazilian has often been overlooked as a first-choice option by his nation, but he has still managed to notch up 64 international caps to date.

8. Hugo Lloris

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France and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is perhaps the player who could storm up this ranking chart over the next few years.

The 25-year-old is so far advanced for his age that he is sure to represent his country for the foreseeable future.

One to watch.

7. Pepe Reina

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Pepe Reina will be the first to admit that he hasn't been at his best for Liverpool in 2012, but he remains on of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.

Reina has found international football hard to come by after being placed second in the pecking order for Spain behind Real Madrid's Iker Casillas.

6. Petr Cech

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Petr Cech recently proved that he was still a top-class goalkeeper following his stunning save from Andy Carroll in the FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Still wearing his protective head guard, Cech is the go-to guy for Chelsea and the Czech Republic.

5. Victor Valdes

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Victor Valdes divides opinion amongst many football supporters.

Valdes can boast being the No. 1 goalkeeper for the best club side on the planet in Barcelona, but many feel his statistics are enhanced by the club he plays for.

Valdes is Spain's third-choice goalkeeper.

4. Joe Hart

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Manchester City's Joe Hart is fast emerging as the best English goalkeeper that the country has produced since David Seaman.

At 25 years of age, Hart shows composure and ability beyond his tender years and has claimed the England No. 1 jersey with virtually no one worthy of challenging him.

3. Gianluigi Buffon

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Gianluigi Buffon will probably go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers that has ever lived, and he's fresh from a Serie A-winning campaign with Juventus.

The 34-year-old has been Serie A goalkeeper of the year on eight occasions and is Italy's first choice.

2. Manuel Neuer

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Since stepping in for Rene Adler in the 2010 World Cup, Manuel Neuer has refused to look back.

Established as Germany's first choice, Neuer also keeps goal for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

An impressive resume for a 26-year-old.

1. Iker Casillas

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Iker Casillas has been crowned the IFFHS goalkeeper of the year an incredible four times and has been Spain's first choice on 128 occasions.

At 31 years of age, Casillas has plenty of football in him yet and recently won La Liga for Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho.

Casillas is—without a doubt—the No. 1 goalkeeper in the world.

 

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