IFFHS HISTORY : THE WORLD’S BEST GOALKEEPER OF THE FIRST DECADE (2001 – 2010)

“Gigi” Buffon, the WORLD’S BEST GOALKEEPER of the First Decade (2001-2010) of the 21st Century.
The annual vote for The World‘s best Goalkeeper during the period 2001 to 2010 produced a total of total 76 goalkeepers from all football continents who featured at least once in the annual world ranking. These 76 goalkeepers were composed of 44 Europeans, 21 South Americans, five Central and North Americans, four Africans and one each from Asia and Oceana. Among the 76 goalkeepers of the 1st Decade of the 21st Century were seven Spaniards, six Brazilians, six Argentinians, five Germans, four Italians, four Frenchmen and four Russians as well as each three Dutchmen, Paraguayans, Colombians, Portugueses, Mexicans and Englishmen.

Already, before the 2010 vote, it was clear by virtue of the votes cast that the 28-year-old Czech Petr Čech of Chelsea FC London was the third-best goalkeeper of this first decade. But the 2010 vote could result in the 40-year-old Dutchman Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United FC pushing the now retired and many times World s best Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn from 4th place. Nevertheless Germany as well as Spain and Brazil were represented with two goalkeepers each among the “Top 10″. Only those goalkeepers who played for many years at the highest level made the top group of this world ranking of the 1st Decade.

The result of The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade (2001-2010) has been decided by the 2010 vote. The second-placed Spaniard Iker Casillas managed to reduce the lead of “Gigi” Buffon by more than half but the Italian of Juventus FC Torino, although troubled by injuries, managed to defend his position with a meagre lead and was therefore The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade of the 21st Century. Within of ten years world votings the four times World‘s best Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was better placed only for total five places than the three times World‘s best Goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Real Madrid CF.