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| The Best FIFA Goalkeeper | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Best FIFA Goalkeeper |
| Awarded for | Outstanding goalkeeping performance |
| Presenter | Fédération Internationale de Football Association |
| Country | Switzerland |
| First awarded | 2017 |
The Best FIFA Goalkeeper
The Best FIFA Goalkeeper is an annual association football award presented by Fédération Internationale de Football Association to the goalkeeper judged to have performed at the highest level during the relevant season or calendar year. Instituted amid reform and rebranding of FIFA's individual honors, the accolade sits alongside The Best FIFA Men's Player and The Best FIFA Women's Player in FIFA's suite of end-of-year awards. Recipients include recognized figures from top clubs and national teams across UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC competitions.
The Best FIFA Goalkeeper recognizes excellence across domestic leagues such as Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and continental tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. Voters consider performances in international tournaments including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Copa América, CONCACAF Gold Cup, and AFC Asian Cup. Prominent figures associated with the award's profile include goalkeepers who have starred for clubs like Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Manchester United F.C., Liverpool F.C., Bayern Munich, Juventus F.C., Paris Saint-Germain F.C., and countries such as Brazil national football team, Argentina national football team, Germany national football team, and Spain national football team.
The Best FIFA Goalkeeper emerged after FIFA restructured its prizes following the discontinuation of the FIFA Ballon d'Or joint era with France Football and the earlier FIFA World Player of the Year. Announced during FIFA ceremonies in Zurich, the goalkeeper award was created to mirror positional honors and to revive recognition previously encompassed by awards like the Yashin Award at the FIFA World Cup. Its introduction linked to organizational reforms within FIFA under presidents including Sepp Blatter and Gianni Infantino, and followed high-profile tournaments such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup that spotlighted goalkeeping performances by players from clubs like Atlético Madrid, Chelsea F.C., Manchester City F.C., Inter Milan, and AC Milan.
Voting for the award involves a panel combining national team coaches from FIFA member associations, national team captains, selected journalists representing confederations such as UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, OFC, and an online fan vote enabling global participation. Criteria emphasize match impact in competitions including FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Nations League, UEFA European Championship qualifying, and continental club competitions. Shortlists are compiled by FIFA and panels drawing on statistics from organizations like Opta Sports and coverage from outlets like BBC Sport, ESPN, Sky Sports, Marca, and L'Équipe. The process mirrors voting structures used for The Best FIFA Men's Coach and other FIFA awards.
Winners have included elite goalkeepers who also claimed honors such as the Ballon d'Or shortlist presence or UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year distinctions. Notable recipients have come from clubs with histories tied to figures like Sergio Ramos, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer, Thibaut Courtois, and Alisson Becker. The list of winners by year highlights performances in seasons coinciding with title wins for clubs like Real Madrid CF in the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool F.C. in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, and national triumphs at tournaments including the Copa América and UEFA European Championship.
Statistical records associated with the award track clean sheets, save percentage, penalty saves, and match-winning performances across competitions such as UEFA Europa League, CONCACAF Champions League, and domestic cups like the FA Cup and Copa del Rey. Record holders often overlap with tournament-specific awardees like UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament and FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winners. Clubs and national teams with repeated winners reflect strong goalkeeping development programs in countries including Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Spain.
The award has amplified recognition for the goalkeeper position, aligning with accolades like IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper and national awards such as PFA Team of the Year and Capocannoniere-adjacent honors for defensive records. Media outlets including The Guardian, The New York Times, The Telegraph, Reuters, and Associated Press regularly analyze the award's selections, and managers from clubs like Chelsea F.C., Manchester City F.C., Arsenal F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., AS Roma, and Atalanta B.C. comment on their players' candidacies. The prize influences transfer market valuations tracked by platforms such as Transfermarkt and scouting discussions within academies like La Masia and Clairefontaine.
Criticism of the award has mirrored debates surrounding other FIFA honors, citing voting biases favoring high-profile clubs and nations such as England national football team and France national football team, the relative weight of fan voting, and comparisons to statistics-driven awards presented by organizations like IFFHS and UEFA. Controversial selections have prompted commentary from former players and pundits including Rio Ferdinand, Gary Lineker, Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane, and Carles Puyol on criteria transparency. Governance reforms within FIFA Ethics Committee and periodic changes to award formats have been part of ongoing debates about fairness and representativeness.
Category:Association football trophies and awards