Top 10 Champions League Goalkeepers

I would normally do a European football related top 10 later in the week but with this week being a Champions League week, I've decided to do it earlier in the week instead.

This week's European football top 10 is Champions League goalkeepers.

Many of the best keepers in Europe have lit up the Champions League over the years and a lot of them have even gone on to win it.

The role of a keeper has definitely changed over the years as they're now being asked to use their feet and come out their box to clear the ball away more.

We saw the role of a keeper first change in the Champions League as we saw a lot of teams playing out from the back and especially the ones from Spain and Germany.

That is because of the influence Pep Guardiola had in those countries when he was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively when he got Victor Valdes and Manuel Neuer respectively playing that way.

He carried that influence with him to England and now pretty much every team across Europe now plays out from the back.

When I look back at the list, I felt that I should've had Oliver Kahn in it and especially because of the performance he put in during the 2001 final for Bayern Munich.

Now without further ordo, here is the list:

Iker Casillas

Manuel Neuer

Peter Schmeichel

Alisson

Victor Valdes

Edwin Van Der Sar

Keylor Navas

Petr Cech

Thibaut Courtois

Ederson

10. Ederson

Ederson won the Champions League with Man City in 2023 during their treble winning season and he played a starring role in the final against Inter Milan by making lots of crucial saves to keep his team in the game.

He changed the role of a keeper in England when he went to City by being able to use his feet and come out of his box as well as being a top shot stopper.

He was arguably the best keeper in Europe with his feet when he was at City because his distribution was first class and was so comfortable with the ball at his feet.

I had to have him at no.10 because he won it just the once and the other keepers were arguably more proven in this competition.

9. Alisson

Alisson won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 where he played such an integral role and especially in the final where he made a lot of important saves towards the end.

He proved to be the missing piece of the jigsaw for Liverpool during that season in terms of a solid keeper who could keep the ball out of the net and he showed it on a number of occasions during that season.

The game against Napoli in the group stages was the game where he showed that Liverpool finally have the world class keeper they've been crying out for when he made that big save in injury time to deny Arkadiusz Milik.

Liverpool lost in the final the season before to Real Madrid where Loris Karius made those two howlers which cost them the game and that game encouraged the reds to go out and sign a top quality keeper in the summer of that year.

8. Peter Schmeichel

Schmeichel was part of the Man United side that won the treble in 1999 which included the Champions League and he made a lot of big and top class saves throughout that season.

He was United's captain in that final because of Roy Keane being suspended in what was his final game for the club before joining Sporting Lisbon that summer.

He was a keeper who made all kinds of top class saves on his day because of how brilliant a shot stopper he was and he showed it throughout that 1999 season.

He would probably be a lot higher on any other list because of the brilliant keeper he was but with this being about the Champions League, I feel 8th was a respectable position for him.

7. Petr Cech

Cech won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 four years after being a runner up in 2008 when the blues were beaten by Man United on penalties.

He kept the blues in that 2012 final against Bayern Munich by making lots of crucial saves including the one he made from Arjen Robben's penalty in extra time.

Chelsea reached the semi finals and beyond six times during his time at the club and his presence between the sticks played a big part in that.

I've put him above Schmeichel because I felt he was the better performing keeper in the Champions League.

6. Edwin Van Der Sar

Van Der Sar won the Champions League twice with Ajax in 1995 and Man United in 2008 and he was a key player in both sides.

He was a keeper who was both good with his hands and his feet as he was comfortable in possession of the ball and was a big keeper who covered his entire goal because of his height.

He was the hero for United in the 2008 final against Chelsea by saving the final spot kick from Nicolas Anelka and he put in a lot of top performances during their run in to the final that year.

It was the same during Ajax's run to the 1995 final as his big and crucial saves were key to Ajax going all the way that season.

5. Thibaut Courtois

Courtois has won the Champions League twice with Real Madrid in 2022 and 2024 respectively and put in brilliant displays in both finals.

He denied Liverpool time and time again in the 2022 final where he was named man of the match and he put in a similar kind of performance in the 2024 final against Borussia Dortmund, especially in the first half when Real were on the back foot.

He's arguably been the best keeper in the world in recent years because of his incredible shot stopping abilities which he showed in both finals.

4. Manuel Neuer

Neuer is the player who changed the role of a keeper by being able to use his feet and come out of his box to clear the ball away.

He's won the Champions League twice with Bayern Munich in 2013 and 2020 respectively with Bayern winning the treble in both seasons.

He was an integral part of both teams and put in top drawer performances in both finals by making lots of crucial saves to his team in both games.

He has strong chance of winning a third this season as Bayern have been one of the form teams in the competition this season.

3. Keylor Navas

Navas won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid with all of them coming back-to-back-to-back in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

He was an excellent shot stopper on his day as he could pull off any kind of save and he was always well positioned to make a crucial stop.

He pulled off many crucial saves during every season he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and they were all key to Real winning those three Champions League's in row.

But despite being as good as he was, he didn't always get the respect he deserved in that he was never placed in the same bracket as some of the top keepers in Europe.

2. Victor Valdes

Valdes won the Champions League three times with Barcelona in 2006, 2009 and 2011 respectively and he played a key role in every single one.

He's probably the most underrated keeper in the history of the game in that he didn't always get the credit he deserved despite being one of the best keepers in Europe for a number of years.

He was a keeper who was both a brilliant shot stopper and good with his feet as he could pull off any kind of save and was a brilliant passer of the ball.

His crucial saves were all key in every success he achieved with Barca in the Champions League.

1. Iker Casillas

Casillas also won the Champions League three times from his time at Real Madrid in 2000, 2002 and 2014 respectively.

He had to be my no.1 because between the three keepers that won the competition three times, he was the best of them.

He was the best keeper in Europe when he was in his prime because of his incredible shot stopping abilities and he could also use his feet.

He became the youngest keeper to play in a Champions League final in 2000 at the of just 19 when Real beat Valencia in what was his breakthrough season at the club.

He started on the bench in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen after losing his place in the team to Cesar Sanchez due to poor performances.

But he later came on when Sanchez got injured and pulled off a string of good saves towards the end to help Real see the game out and win his place back in the side.

MY TOP 10:

1. Iker Casillas

2. Victor Valdes

3. Keylor Navas

4. Manuel Neuer

5. Thibaut Courtois

6. Edwin van Der Sar

7. Petr Cech

8. Peter Schmeichel

9. Alisson

10. Ederson