Best goal keepers over the last 2 decades

According to IFFHS the top 5 goal keepers are, it's decided by how many times they've won the best keeper award.

Amount of times won the best keeper award, the left no. starts with being no. 1 the next won is being runner up to the award etc.


1.Gianluigi Buffon -4-2- 2
2.Oliver Kahn -3-1--1-1
3.José Luis Chilavert -3-2--1
4.Walter Zenga -3-2
5.Peter Schmeichel -2-2--1-3


Do you agree with this list?

Source: http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-gkoy.html

Peter Schmeical first for me then Chilavert followed by Buffon

No i don't.

Because in my estimation both david james and brad freidel would wipe the floor with all of those in that list. I have never seen those keepers make the amount of devastating saves of the two prem players. They may make one or two every now and then ,but they ahve never made me say "f*cking hell ,what a save", as many times as both Freidel and James have.
But by the list i'm guessing this is based on world cup performances. If that is the narrow criteria they ae dealing with then it means nothing to me.

wher is van der Sar in this list?

Chilavert is in the list. His performances in the world cup? Paraquay are lucky if they qualify. Maybe not now they are doing well but when chilavert was in goal they did not qualify all the time

well ,that is just darn baffling to me.The list makes no sense to me. Wheres Bartez anyway.

Peter Schmeichel made important saves almost every game he played. He was a fantastic keeper, and it has taken United years to find a suitable replacement. Barthez was a good keeper, however let himself down many times by trying stupid things. James is also a fantastic keeper as you say Specnur, but is a long way behind these guys. Yes he has the ability to make outstanding saves, and yes he is in superb condition - however his decision making has been poor throughout his career. He appears to have improved on this over the last couple of years however.

Van Der Sar is also a fantastic keeper, and should make the top 5!

6. Petr Cech won once, runner up twice
12. CasillAS runner up twice for the award
18. Lehmann runner up to best keeper in the world once
20. Van Der Sar Never been a runner up

Best Ever:

1. Lev Yashin
2. Peter Schmeichel
3. Gordon Banks
4. Dino Zoff
5. Peter Bonetti
6. Oliver Kahn

But it's all opinion......it doesn't mean anything.

I think you might want to rethink that statement about james being behind these guys. How old is james now? 38? last year he was the best keeper in the premiership without a doubt. Ask harry.
Schmeichel couldn't carry his jock strap as Larry Holmes once said. Yes the united keeper was quality ,but David James has outlived every one of his piers and is still performing at the very highest level. If longevity is a criteria for deciding who the best ,the no ones has lasted as long as James at the top of his game.
I think if you were to compile i high-lite reel of all the top goalies and their best 50 saves David James and Freidel would beat everyone of them . Even a high lite of james two seasons ago and Feidel last season would wipe out any doubt. We are looking at the total career of these goalies aren't we not?
IOf so any mistakes james has made would pale against the incredible saves he's made over his career. People focus on the negative in someone when it fits what their agenda.

you talking to much blah blah

Lev Yashin - great Russian GoalKeeper
Super - player….Legend
Best Keeper in History of football all times and peoples
Where is David Seaman?

The above list is just my personal opinion and David Seaman would be well down the list...probably 35th

Nothing I made up http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-gkoy.html

David James and Friedal better than Yashin, Buffon and Schmeichel. Yeah okay mate. Forgetting the 4335435432543 mistakes James has made over the years?

I guess it all comes down to opinion, and there is nothing that will change your mind that James and Freidel are the best. I personally think Schmeichel was a far better keeper, making less mistakes and just as capable of pulling off some superb saves. Just take a look at some of the compilations on youtube to see the sort of saves he was capable of.

I don't think age comes into it - otherwise Peter Shilton would be up there!

Aren't the best goal keepers the ones who don't need to make saves? If they guide their defense well then the opposition won't have many chances to shoot, let alone shoot on target.

Saying James is better than Buffon & Schmeichel isn't correct, a keeper must not make mistakes even if he makes a couple of good saves here and there.

The best keeper ever was Paco Buyo

No, but seriously, that list is crappy in my opinion

It's not 100% accurate as there aren't many great goalkeepers here anymore, and back in the time there were many. The award is an easy prey for Buffon because he is so classy as a keeper and no other keeper is really threatening his position so far.

We saw Cech and Casillas, where the first sent his team out of Euro and the latter easily conceded the goal against Sweden - come on, if it was Van Der Sar or Buffon they probably would've kicked the ball away or caught it.