HISTORY - IFFHS AWARDS - THE WORLD'S BEST GOALKEEPER OF THE FIRST DECADE (2001-2010)
IFFHS AWARDS - GIANLUIGI BUFFON, THE WORLD'S BEST GOALKEEPER OF THE FIRST DECADE (2001-2010)
Establishing The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade of the 21st Century was done on the basis of the annual world vote (by the IFFHS), by taking each year‘s vote as representing 10 % of the value forthe decade. Each year many different jurors (countries) have taken part in the vote and, in the early years the jurors voted for the top threeplaces (3 points to 1 point), and only later for the top four places (4points to 1 point). So it would not be possible to simply add the points awarded in the annual votes.
The IFFHS has devised an equitable method for determining The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade of the 21st Century. From the annual ranking of the goalkeepers (as a result of the world vote)the IFFHS will take into consideration the “Top 20” for each year and allocate points to each place. So the first-placed receives 20 points, the second-placed 19 points, the third-placed 18 points ... and a point for twentieth place. If the annual world ranking comprises more than 20 goalkeepers, then the goalkeepers from 21st place onwards receive no points. If the annual world ranking comprises fewer than 20 goalkeepers (based on the fixed rules), no points will be awarded for the unoccupied places. Adding the points from the individual years provides a world ranking for the period 2001-2010. The first-placed goalkeeper in this final world ranking is The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade 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 are 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
are seven Spaniards, six Brazilians, six Argentinians, five Germans, four Italyns, four Frenchmen and four
Russians as well as each three Dutchmen, Paraguayans, Colombians, Portugueses, Mexicans and Englishmen.
Chelsea FC London is the third-best goalkeeper of this decade. But the 2010 vote could result in the 40-yearold
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 are 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 Italyn of Juventus FC Torino, although troubled by injuries, managed to defend his position with a
meagre lead and is 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.
The World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 1st Decade of the 21st Century “Gigi” Buffon was honoured on the
occasion of the World Football Gala 2012 in Barcelona with a Certificate and a golden trophy.
RANKING : The World’s best Goalkeeper 2001-2010
1. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) 182 points
2. Iker Casillas (Spain) 177
3. Petr Cech (Czech Republic) 138
4. Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands) 105
5. Oliver Kahn (Germany) 99
6. Nélson de Jesus e Silva »Dida« (Brazil) 90
7. Jens Lehmann (Germany) 72
8. Roberto Carlos Abbondanzieri (Argentina) 68
9. Victor Valdes (Spain) 64
10. Júlio César Soãres Espíndola (Brazil) 63
11. Fabien Barthez (France) 55
12. José Manuel Reina (Spain) 54
13. Rogério Ceni (Brazil) 53
14. Francesco Toldo (Italy) 52
15. Igor Akinfeev (Russia) 47
16. Jerzy Dudek (Poland) 42
17. Timothy Matthew Howard (USA) 36
18. Santiago Cañizares (Spain) 35
19. Grégory Coupet (France) 28
20. Rüstü Reçber (Turkey) 27