The best goalkeepers in the world in 2022 are a generation of shot-stoppers unlike any before them. They are not just shot-stoppers anymore. They are leaders, sweepers, and ball-players all rolled into one. These ten men are the finest between the posts the world has to offer in 2022.
10. Nick Pope
Nick Pope is one of the most quietly excellent goalkeepers in English football. He does not carry the global profile of some on this list, but his numbers in 2022 are outstanding. He keeps more clean sheets than almost any other goalkeeper in the Premier League that year.
He moves from Burnley to Newcastle United in 2022 and immediately becomes one of the best performers at the club. His shot-stopping reflexes are exceptional and his distribution has improved dramatically. He is one of those keepers who makes saves look routine that really are not.
9. Ederson
Ederson completely changes how people think about the goalkeeper position. He does not just stop shots — he starts attacks. His passing accuracy from the back is extraordinary. Pep Guardiola builds Manchester City’s entire pressing system around his ability to distribute the ball under pressure.
He wins four Premier League titles with City and is one of the most important players in Guardiola’s system. His kicking range is perhaps the best of any goalkeeper in history. He can find teammates 60 or 70 yards away with pinpoint accuracy.
8. Marc-André ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen is one of the most technically gifted goalkeepers of his generation. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet, composed under pressure, and his reflexes when he does need to make a save are world class.
He is arguably the most important player at Barcelona during some of their most difficult financial years. When everything around him is uncertain, he is the one constant. He makes saves that keep them in matches they have no right to be in.
7. Emiliano Martínez
Emiliano Martínez has the most dramatic year of any goalkeeper in 2022. He helps Argentina win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, producing a penalty shootout performance against France in the final that is one of the greatest individual moments any goalkeeper has ever had on the biggest stage.
He wins the Golden Glove at the 2022 World Cup — the award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament. At Aston Villa, he is consistently one of the best performers in the Premier League. His presence and vocal leadership make him a completely unique personality between the posts.
6. Jan Oblak
For years, Jan Oblak is the most consistent goalkeeper in world football. He wins the Zamora Trophy — awarded to the goalkeeper with the best goals-against ratio in La Liga — more than any other keeper in the league’s history.
He is the foundation on which Diego Simeone builds Atletico Madrid’s entire defensive identity. His positioning is almost flawless. He rarely makes errors and his shot-stopping ability is among the very best in the world. He does not always get the credit he deserves because he plays in a system built around not conceding rather than making spectacular saves.
5. Mike Maignan
Mike Maignan is the goalkeeper who replaces Gianluigi Donnarumma at Paris Saint-Germain — arguably the most difficult position any goalkeeper has ever had to fill. He not only does it, he exceeds expectations immediately.
At AC Milan, he is absolutely exceptional in 2022. He helps them win Serie A and puts in performances that mark him as one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe. His reflexes, his aerial dominance, and his leadership make him a complete package. According to GiveMeSport’s rankings of the best goalkeepers in the world, he consistently features among the top five in Europe.
4. Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been destined for greatness since he makes his AC Milan debut as a 16-year-old. In 2022, he is already one of the best goalkeepers on the planet at just 23 years old.
He wins the UEFA Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament after keeping Italy’s goal brilliantly throughout their triumphant campaign. He then moves to Paris Saint-Germain and immediately becomes one of the best performers in Ligue 1. His size, his reflexes, and his absolute command of his penalty area make him a nightmare for any striker.
3. Alisson Becker
When Liverpool sign Alisson Becker in 2018, the transformation in their defensive record is instant and dramatic. He does not just improve Liverpool — he completes them. He is the final piece in Jürgen Klopp’s extraordinary team.
He wins the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 with Liverpool. In 2022, he is still producing season after season of world-class performances. His reflexes are exceptional, his command of his box is total, and his distribution is almost as good as Ederson’s. ESPN ranks him consistently among the top three goalkeepers in world football across multiple seasons.
2. Marc-André ter Stegen / Alisson — Two Keepers, One Level
In 2022, the debate between second and first is fierce. But the man who separates himself from almost everyone else in the world is the keeper who produces the single greatest individual goalkeeping performance in Champions League final history.
1. Thibaut Courtois — The Best Goalkeeper in the World 2022
Thibaut Courtois delivers one of the greatest individual goalkeeping performances in football history during the 2022 Champions League Final against Liverpool. He makes nine saves — a Champions League final record — and single-handedly wins Real Madrid the trophy.
He is named Champions League Final Man of the Match and wins the Yashin Trophy — awarded to the world’s best goalkeeper — for his performances across the season. He is not just the best goalkeeper of 2022. He is the reason Real Madrid win the biggest prize in club football that year. ESPN’s FC 100 ranks him as the number one goalkeeper in the world for the 2022-23 season, and it is a ranking that nobody seriously argues with.
