10 Best Goalkeepers Going To World Cup 2018
These players could help their countries go all the way.
Every football team needs a good keeper in order to be successful. You could have Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar up front, but if you’ve got a terrible goalie between the sticks, you’re not going to win a lot of games.
It takes a myriad of skills to be a successful goalkeeper, from quick reactions and smart footwork to high levels of confidence and strong mentalities, and goalies can go from being on top of the world to down in the dumps in a shockingly short amount of time if their mental game takes a hit – just ask Joe Hart.
Keepers are often overlooked when it comes time to hand out individual awards, but they’re some of the most important people on the pitch, especially at big tournaments like the World Cup, where legendary goalkeepers like Gianluigi Buffon, Fabien Barthez, and Gordon Banks all proved integral to their team’s historic victories.
There’ll be plenty of goalkeeping talent on display at this summer’s tournament. Each of these men will have an enormous amount of pressure on their shoulders, especially if a game comes down to a penalty shootout, but they’re the best of the best for a reason and know exactly how to handle high pressure situations.
10. Essam El-Hadary - Egypt
The oldest man at the tournament at 45, Egypt's Essam El-Hadary won't be too well-known to European football fans, but in Egypt he's one of the sport's biggest stars. He's helped his nation win the Africa Cup of Nations on no fewer than four occasions and has won countless cups and league titles during his long club career.
A phenomenal shot stopper with surprisingly youthful speed and reflexes, El-Hadary's skills belie his years. He's also an exceptional penalty saver and has proven himself to be mentally strong in high pressure games, which will surely help him going into his first ever World Cup appearance.
With 156 caps to his name, El-Hadary is one of the most capped international players of all time and will be hoping to boost that tally as much as he can this summer when Egypt aim to qualify from a tough group that includes Uruguay and the host nation, Russia.