The best goalkeeper of the World Cup could come from this group of men.
With the World Cup about to move into its latter stages, we take a look at five goalkeepers who may harbour ambitions of taking the prestigious Golden Glove award.
Three of the world’s top goalkeepers feature, all of whom come from European nations, while two outstanding performers from Central America are also shortlisted.
| Team | Pos | Goals Conceded | Saves | Saved Ibox | Saved Obox | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thibaut Courtois | Belgium | GK | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 270 |
| Keylor Navas | Costa Rica | GK | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 270 |
| Guillermo Ochoa | Mexico | GK | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 270 |
| Hugo Lloris | France | GK | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 270 |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | GK | 2 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 270 |
Chelsea’s returning loan star Thibaut Courtois is in a three way tie when it comes to the fewest number of goals conceded, and with Belgium considered one of the dark horses for the whole tournament, he may feel he has a stronger chance of avoiding elimination than Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa. Of the three, Ochoa has saved more shots than any other player, mostly on account of his extraordinary performance against Brazil. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris may also be in with a shot at the award alongside Bayern’s Manuel Neuer, with both France and Germany also performing well.
| Team | Pos | Save Percentage/On Target Shots % | High Claim Accuracy % | Goal Kick Accuracy % | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thibaut Courtois | Belgium | GK | 87.50 | 100.00 | 76.92 | 3 | 270 |
| Keylor Navas | Costa Rica | GK | 78.50 | 100.00 | 44.00 | 3 | 270 |
| Guillermo Ochoa | Mexico | GK | 80.00 | 100.00 | 59.09 | 3 | 270 |
| Hugo Lloris | France | GK | 71.43 | 100.00 | 73.08 | 3 | 270 |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | GK | 80.00 | 100.00 | 84.00 | 3 | 270 |
Courtois has the highest percentage of on target shots to saves out of the five players, saving 87.5% of the shots heading to his goal. Ochoa and Neuer also have decent stats in this department. All five players exhibited 100% success rates in claiming crosses, while Courtois, Lloris and Neuer all demonstrated good goal kicking percentages.
With it possible that any team can get knocked out after their next game, any or all of these players may find their World Cup over or bounding into the quarter finals.
Whatever happens, the Golden Glove winner may or may not come from this small group of elite shotstoppers, but nevertheless, they are already five of the strongest performers.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
