IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper

The winning goalkeeper is awarded a gold trophy at the World Football Gala.

Below is a list of the previous winners since the first award in 1987, which was won by Belgium's Jean-Marie Pfaff.

Bold indicates the World's Best Man Goalkeeper winner.At the end of the 20th century, the IFFHS also voted on the World's Goalkeeper of the Century, won by the Soviet Union's Lev Yashin running ahead of Gordon Banks and Dino Zoff.

[27][28] In 2011, the IFFHS also voted on The World's Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century's first decade, taking into consideration goalkeepers' performances during the first decade of the 21st century, between 2001 and 2011; the award was won by the Italy's Gianluigi Buffon running ahead of Iker Casillas and Petr Čech.

[29] In 2012, the IFFHS also voted on The World's Best Goalkeeper of the past 25 years, taking into consideration goalkeepers' performances between 1987 – the year of the award's inception – and 2012; the award was won by the Italy's Gianluigi Buffon running ahead of Iker Casillas and Edwin van der Sar.

Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff was the first ever winner of the award, in 1987.
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon holds the record for most wins (alongside Manuel Neuer and Iker Casillas ).
At the end of the 20th Century, Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin was named World's Goalkeeper of the Century by IFFHS.
In 2011, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was named World's Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century's first decade by IFFHS; in 2012, he was named World's Best Goalkeeper of the Past 25 Years . He also holds the record for most IFFHS Goalkeeper of the Year Award victories, alongside Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer , with five.
Iker Casillas ranked second in both rankings.
In 2021, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was named The World's Best Goalkeeper of the Decade of the 2010s by IFFHS. He also holds the record for most IFFHS Goalkeeper of the Year Award victories, alongside Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon , with five.
American goalkeeper Hope Solo won the award four times in a row (once ex æquo with Almuth Schult ).
French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi holds the record for most wins (alongside Hope Solo ).
German goalkeeper Almuth Schult was named The World's Best Woman Goalkeeper of the Decade of the 2010s by IFFHS. As part of the German national team , she won the gold medals of the 2013 UEFA Championship and the 2016 Olympic Games .