World’s Best Goalkeepers According to IFFHS: The IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year, previously known as the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper, is an award given out by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) to recognize the best goalkeeper in the world. This award has been presented since 1987. Since 2012, they have also been giving out the World Goalkeeper of the Year award. The top male winners of this award are Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, and Manuel Neuer, each winning it five times. Among women, Sarah Bouhaddi and Hope Solo have won it four times each.
Men’s Winners
List of Winners
Here is a list of the best goalkeepers in the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper rankings:
| Year | Rank | Player | Club(s) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 1st | Jean-Marie Pfaff | Bayern Munich | 137 |
| 2nd | Rinat Dasayev | Spartak Moscow | 43 | |
| 3rd | Walter Zenga | Inter Milan | 30 | |
| 1988 | 1st | Rinat Dasayev | Spartak Moscow | 119 |
| 2nd | Hans van Breukelen | PSV Eindhoven | 97 | |
| 3rd | Walter Zenga | Inter Milan | 31 | |
| 1989 | 1st | Walter Zenga | Inter Milan | 79 |
| 2nd | Michel Preud’homme | KV Mechelen | 38 | |
| 3rd | Rinat Dasayev | Sevilla | 33 | |
| 1990 | 1st | Walter Zenga | Inter Milan | 72 |
| 2nd | Michel Preud’homme | KV Mechelen | 35 | |
| 3rd | Gabelo Conejo | Cartaginés | 34 | |
| 1991 | 1st | Walter Zenga | Inter Milan | 51 |
| 2nd | Sergio Goycochea | Racing Club | 37 | |
| 3rd | Cláudio Taffarel | Parma | 29 | |
| 1992 | 1st | Peter Schmeichel | Manchester United | 118 |
| 2nd | Andoni Zubizarreta | Barcelona | 28 | |
| 3rd | Hans van Breukelen | PSV Eindhoven | 23 | |
| 1993 | 1st | Peter Schmeichel | Manchester United | 84 |
| 2nd | Sergio Goycochea | Racing Club | 70 | |
| 3rd | Jorge Campos | UNAM | 23 | |
| 1994 | 1st | Michel Preud’homme | KV Mechelen, Benfica | 103 |
| 2nd | Thomas Ravelli | IFK Göteborg | 73 | |
| 3rd | Cláudio Taffarel | Reggiana | 53 | |
| 1995 | 1st | José Luis Chilavert | Vélez Sársfield | 37 |
| 2nd | Peter Schmeichel | Manchester United | 29 | |
| 3rd | Thomas Ravelli | IFK Göteborg | 24 | |
| 1996 | 1st | Andreas Köpke | Marseille | 114 |
| 2nd | David Seaman | Arsenal | 101 | |
| 3rd | José Luis Chilavert | Vélez Sársfield | 44 | |
| 1997 | 1st | José Luis Chilavert | Vélez Sársfield | 61 |
| 2nd | Angelo Peruzzi | Juventus | 57 | |
| 3rd | Peter Schmeichel | Manchester United | 53 | |
| 1998 | 1st | José Luis Chilavert | Vélez Sársfield | 198 |
| 2nd | Fabien Barthez | Monaco | 146 | |
| 3rd | Edwin van der Sar | Ajax | 75 | |
| 1999 | 1st | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 116 |
| 2nd | Peter Schmeichel | Manchester United | 95 | |
| 3rd | José Luis Chilavert | Vélez Sársfield | 93 | |
| 2000 | 1st | Fabien Barthez | Monaco, Manchester United | 195 |
| 2nd | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 133 | |
| 3rd | Francesco Toldo | Fiorentina | 131 | |
| 2001 | 1st | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 265 |
| 2nd | Oscar Córdoba | Boca Juniors | 77 | |
| 3rd | Gianluigi Buffon | Parma, Juventus | 69 | |
| 2002 | 1st | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 316 |
| 2nd | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 101 | |
| 3rd | Rüştü Reçber | Fenerbahçe | 99 | |
| 2003 | 1st | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 186 |
| 2nd | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 112 | |
| 3rd | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 106 | |
| 2004 | 1st | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 185 |
| 2nd | Petr Čech | Rennes, Chelsea | 125 | |
| 3rd | Dida | Milan | 78 | |
| 2005 | 1st | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 175 |
| 2nd | Dida | Milan | 91 | |
| 3rd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 78 | |
| 2006 | 1st | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 295 |
| 2nd | Jens Lehmann | Arsenal | 140 | |
| 3rd | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 91 | |
| 2007 | 1st | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 209 |
| 2nd | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 172 | |
| 3rd | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 124 | |
| 2008 | 1st | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 249 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 170 | |
| 3rd | Edwin van der Sar | Manchester United | 143 | |
| 2009 | 1st | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 230 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 150 | |
| 3rd | Júlio César | Inter Milan | 124 | |
| 2010 | 1st | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 304 |
| 2nd | Júlio César | Inter Milan | 124 | |
| 3rd | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 56 | |
| 2011 | 1st | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 248 |
| 2nd | Manuel Neuer | Schalke 04, Bayern Munich | 130 | |
| 3rd | Víctor Valdés | Barcelona | 114 | |
| 2012 | 1st | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 224 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 128 | |
| 3rd | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 92 | |
| 2013 | 1st | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 211 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 78 | |
| 3rd | Petr Čech | Chelsea | 64 | |
| 2014 | 1st | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 216 |
| 2nd | Thibaut Courtois | Atlético Madrid, Chelsea | 96 | |
| 3rd | Keylor Navas | Levante, Real Madrid | 46 | |
| 2015 | 1st | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 188 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 78 | |
| 3rd | Claudio Bravo | Barcelona | 45 | |
| 2016 | 1st | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 156 |
| 2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 91 | |
| 3rd | Rui Patrício | Sporting CP | 50 | |
| 2017 | 1st | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 251 |
| 2nd | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 103 | |
| 3rd | Keylor Navas | Real Madrid | 85 | |
| 2018 | 1st | Thibaut Courtois | Chelsea, Real Madrid | 181 |
| 2nd | Hugo Lloris | Tottenham Hotspur | 109 | |
| 3rd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain | 59 | |
| 2019 | 1st | Alisson | Liverpool | 386 |
| 2nd | Marc-André ter Stegen | Barcelona | 104 | |
| 3rd | Jan Oblak | Atlético Madrid | 67 | |
| 2020 | 1st | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 320 |
| 2nd | Jan Oblak | Atlético Madrid | 40 | |
| 3rd | Alisson | Liverpool | 30 | |
| 2021 | 1st | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Milan, Paris Saint-Germain | 170 |
| 2nd | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 75 | |
| 3rd | Édouard Mendy | Chelsea | 40 | |
| 2022 | 1st | Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid | 125 |
| 2nd | Emiliano Martínez | Aston Villa | 110 | |
| 3rd | Yassine Bounou | Sevilla | 55 | |
| 2023 | 1st | Ederson | Manchester City | 145 |
| 2nd | Emiliano Martínez | Aston Villa | 76 | |
| 3rd | Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid | 73 |
The World’s Best Goalkeepers According to IFFHS
These three goalkeepers Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, and Manuel Neuer have all won awards a record five times.
Buffon holds the distinction of being the oldest player to have competed in a FIFA World Cup final. He is also the player with the most appearances in the history of the Italian national team. Casillas, on the other hand, is the second-most capped player in the history of the Spanish national team, and he achieved the pinnacle of success by winning the FIFA World Cup with Spain in 2010. Neuer is often regarded as one of the most groundbreaking goalkeepers in history, and he secured a FIFA World Cup victory with Germany in 2014.
These three remarkable goalkeepers have earned the most IFFHS wins in their careers.
Record Winners
Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, and Manuel Neuer have each won the IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year award five times, making them the top recipients of this honor.
| Player | Country | Wins (Years) |
|---|---|---|
| Iker Casillas | Spain | 5x 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | 5x 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2017 |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | 5x 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020 |
| Walter Zenga | Italy | 3x 1989, 1990, 1991 |
| José Luis Chilavert | Paraguay | 3x 1995, 1997, 1998 |
| Oliver Kahn | Germany | 3x 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| Peter Schmeichel | Denmark | 2x 1992, 1993 |
| Thibaut Courtois | Belgium | 2x 2018, 2022 |
| Jean-Marie Pfaff | Belgium | 1x 1987 |
| Rinat Dasayev | Soviet Union | 1x 1988 |
| Michel Preud’homme | Belgium | 1x 1994 |
| Andreas Köpke | Germany | 1x 1996 |
| Fabien Barthez | France | 1x 2000 |
| Petr Čech | Czech Republic | 1x 2005 |
| Alisson | Brazil | 1x 2019 |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Italy | 1x 2021 |
| Ederson | Brazil | 1x 2023 |
The Club With Most IFFHS Wins
Bayern Munich holds the record for the most IFFHS World’s Best Club award wins with nine.
Bayern Munich is highly regarded as one of the most successful clubs in the world. They have won many domestic and international championships. The club is recognized for their attractive style of play and their dedication to nurturing young talent.
| Club | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | 9 | 3 |
| Real Madrid | 7 | 2 |
| Juventus | 5 | 1 |
| Manchester United | 3 | 2 |
| Inter Milan | 3 | 1 |
| Vélez Sársfield | 3 | 1 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2 |
| Benfica | 1 | 1 |
| KV Mechelen | 1 | 1 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 1 |
| Marseille | 1 | 1 |
| Milan | 1 | 1 |
| Monaco | 1 | 1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 1 |
| Spartak Moscow | 1 | 1 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 1 |
The Country With Most IFFHS Wins
Germany and Italy have each won the IFFHS World’s Best National Team award nine times, making them the countries with the most wins. Spain has won the award five times.
| Nationality | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 9 | 3 |
| Italy | 9 | 3 |
| Spain | 5 | 1 |
| Belgium | 4 | 3 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 1 |
| Denmark | 2 | 1 |
| Brazil | 2 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | 1 |
| France | 1 | 1 |
| Soviet Union | 1 | 1 |
Women’s Winners
The IFFHS World’s Best Woman Goalkeeper award has been given out since 2012. This award is decided through a vote in which national team coaches, team captains, and football journalists participate.
Here is a list of the winners of the IFFHS World’s Best Woman Goalkeeper award:
List of Winners
| Year | Rank | Player | Club(s) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1st | Hope Solo | Seattle Sounders | 110 |
| 2nd | Nadine Angerer | Eintracht Frankfurt | 80 | |
| 3rd | Hedvig Lindahl | Kristianstads | 35 | |
| 2013 | 1st | Hope Solo | Seattle Reign | 110 |
| 2nd | Nadine Angerer | Brisbane Roar | 106 | |
| 3rd | Stina Lykke Borg | FCR Duisburg | 42 | |
| 2014 | 1st | Hope Solo | Seattle Reign | 110 |
| – | Almuth Schult | VfL Wolfsburg | 110 | |
| 2nd | – | – | – | |
| 3rd | Nadine Angerer | Brisbane Roar | 45 | |
| Portland Thorns | ||||
| 2015 | 1st | Hope Solo | Seattle Reign | 148 |
| 2nd | Nadine Angerer | Portland Thorns | 66 | |
| 3rd | Ayumi Kaihori | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 36 | |
| 2016 | 1st | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | 111 |
| 2nd | Almuth Schult | VfL Wolfsburg | 82 | |
| 3rd | Hope Solo | Seattle Reign | 77 | |
| 2017 | 1st | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | 190 |
| 2nd | Sari van Veenendaal | Arsenal | 112 | |
| 3rd | Katarzyna Kiedrzynek | Paris Saint-Germain | 42 | |
| 2018 | 1st | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | 185 |
| 2nd | Almuth Schult | VfL Wolfsburg | 121 | |
| 3rd | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Pride | 48 | |
| 2019 | 1st | Sari van Veenendaal | Arsenal, Atlético Madrid | 185 |
| 2nd | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | 92 | |
| 3rd | Alyssa Naeher | Chicago Red Stars | 82 | |
| 2020 | 1st | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | 220 |
| 2nd | Christiane Endler | Paris Saint-Germain | 55 | |
| 3rd | Ann Katrin Berger | Chelsea | 25 | |
| 2021 | 1st | Christiane Endler | Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon | 110 |
| 2nd | Sandra Paños | Barcelona | 100 | |
| 3rd | Stephanie Labbé | FC Rosengård, PSG | 45 | |
| 2022 | 1st | Christiane Endler | Lyon | 105 |
| 2nd | Mary Earps | Manchester United | 50 | |
| 3rd | Merle Frohms | VfL Wolfsburg | 25 | |
| 2023 | 1st | Mary Earps | Manchester United | 164 |
| 2nd | Sandra Paños | Barcelona | 78 | |
| 3rd | Zećira Mušović | Chelsea | 49 |
The World’s Best Women Goalkeepers According to IFFHS
Hope Solo and Sarah Bouhaddi are the only two goalkeepers to have won the award four times. Christiane Endler has won the award two times, making them the most successful goalkeeper in the history of the award.
Record Winners
French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi and Hope Solo both have the same record for the most wins.
| Player | Country | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hope Solo | United States | 4x 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| Sarah Bouhaddi | France | 4x 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 |
| Christiane Endler | Chile | 2x 2021, 2022 |
| Almuth Schult | Germany | 1x 2014 |
| Sari van Veenendaal | Netherlands | 1x 2019 |
| Mary Earps | England | 1x 2023 |
The Club With Most IFFHS Wins (Women)
The team that has won the IFFHS Women’s World’s Best Club award the most times is Olympique Lyonnais from France, and they’ve won it six times. Other clubs that have won this award more than once Are;
| Club | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Lyon | 6 | 2 |
| OL Reign | 4 | 1 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 1 | 1 |
| Arsenal | 1 | 1 |
| Atlético Madrid | 1 | 1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 1 |
| Manchester United | 1 | 1 |
The Countries With Most IFFHS Wins (Women)
France and the United States have each won the IFFHS Women’s World’s Best award four times. Some other countries have also won this award more than once.
| Nationality | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| France | 4 | 1 |
| United States | 4 | 1 |
| Chile | 2 | 1 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 |
| England | 1 | 1 |