Are you a fan of La Liga? Do you want to learn about the Best Goalkeepers in its history? Then look no further!
Football fans around the world have seen some great goalkeepers in the last few years. But who are the Best Goalkeepers in Spanish football?
The answer may surprise you! We’ve compiled a list of the best goalkeepers of La Liga of all time, from past legends to current stars.
From Iker Casillas and Andoni Zubizarreta to Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois, these are some of the greatest goalkeeping talents that have graced Spanish football over the years.
So, join us as we take an in-depth look at who made our list of best Goalkeepers in La Liga History.
Top Goalkeepers in La Liga History
This article will explore La Liga goalkeepers ranking of all time. So join us as we uncover and celebrate them. We’ve compiled a list of the best Goalkeepers in La Liga History for you to explore and appreciate.
Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas was an outstanding shot-stopper and leader in La Liga for seven years, making him one of the top goalkeepers in La Liga history.
His ability to make clutch saves at crucial moments has earned him numerous accolades, including fourth place in Zamora Trophy, which is awarded to the goalkeeper with the least goals conceded per game.
He boasts a staggering record of three consecutive Champions League titles, something that no other goalkeeper in La Liga has achieved before or since.
Navas is also renowned for his impeccable positioning, quick reactions, and precise distribution capabilities, which helped Real Madrid dominate on top European stages.
Throughout his career, he’s made impressive save ratios across multiple leagues, from 77% in Costa Rica’s Primera División to 75% at Levante UD – a testament to his outstanding talent as one of the greatest goalkeepers in La Liga history.
Juan Adelarpe Alonso
Juan Adelarpe Alonso was one of the amazing goalkeepers in La Liga for decades, thanks to his outstanding shot-stopping abilities.
His remarkable positioning and distribution made him a top goalkeeper in Spanish football. He holds numerous accolades, such as a Zamora Trophy for having the lowest number of goals conceded per game.
His impressive save ratios across multiple leagues demonstrated his truly world-class talent. What’s more, he was renowned for his quick reactions and clutch saves.
Alonso was part of Real Madrid’s European Cup victories in 1956, 1957, and 1958.
Ignacio Eizaguirre Arregui
Ignacio Eizaguirre Arregui was a master of positioning, able to anticipate shots before they were even taken.
His agility and reflexes made him one of the most incredible goalkeepers in La Liga History. He played for Spain national team at the 1950 World Cup.
The goalkeeper had an amazing ability to make quick reactions that saved goals for his team.
With fantastic vision and awareness, he could spot opponents’ movement across the pitch with ease. He kept many clean sheets during his time playing 381 La Liga matches during 19 seasons.
José Vicente Train
José Vicente Train was renowned for his reflexes, agility, and knack for reading opposing strikers’ movements.
Maintained an impressive average number of clean sheets in all competitions during his time with RCD Espanyol, Real Madrid, RCD Mallorca, and Deportivo de La Coruna.
Furthermore, helped the clubs win titles while earning three Zamora trophies in 1960–61, 1962–63, and 1963–64.
Known as one of the most awesome goalkeepers in La Liga history due to his consistent high-level performances.
His dedication and commitment to the game led him to be considered a true legend in Spanish football.
Juan Acuna Naya
Juan Acuna Naya is the best goalkeeper of Deportivo de La Coruna ever.
An incredible save percentage and a knack for thwarting opposing strikers’ advances, along with his lightning-quick reflexes and a keen eye for recognizing opponents’ movements, make him one of the top goalkeepers in La Liga of all time.
He had a remarkable spell at Deportivo de La Coruña. His performance earned him four Zamora Trophies between the 1941–42 and 1950–51 seasons, which are awarded to the best goalkeeper every year by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
His success has cemented his legacy as one of the Best Goalkeepers in La Liga History, making it possible for future generations to recognize his achievements.
Victor Valdes
Victor Valdes is widely considered to be one of the most talented goalkeepers in La Liga history, having won a total of five Zamora Trophies.
He was an integral part of Barcelona’s success during his time with the club, helping them to win three Champions League titles.
His reflexes and agility were top notches, and he had a keen eye for reading opposing strikers’ movements.
During his 11-year spell at Barca, Valdes kept more than 150 clean sheets in all competitions – a remarkable achievement that speaks volumes about his quality as a goalkeeper.
His incredible performances made him one of the Best Goalkeepers in La Liga History and helped cement FC Barcelona as one of Europe’s greatest clubs today.
Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers of La Liga right now.
He joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018 and has since won two La Liga titles.
The Belgian goalkeeper was named Best Goalkeeper in the World by IFFHS in 2018 and 2022.
He has won three Zamora trophies, a testament to his talents between the posts.
His performances have been crucial to Real Madrid’s success over the past few seasons, helping them win the Champions League trophy in the 2021–22 season.
Miguel Angel Gonzalez Suarez
La Liga goalkeepers ranking goes on with another huge name! Miguel Angel Gonzalez Suarez’s leadership and skill between the posts helped Real Madrid to success.
He won Zamora Trophy and Don Balon Award in the 1975–76 season. His incredible reflexes and agility made him an ideal choice for keeping clean sheets.
Displaying consistent excellence on the pitch, the goalkeeper won 6 La Liga and 5 Copa del Rey titles.
One of La Liga’s longest-tenured players, Miguel Angel, was able to maintain top form throughout his career.
Francisco Buyo
Francisco Buyo was one of the Best Goalkeepers in Real Madrid history, boasting an impressive career with over 700 appearances for five different clubs in all competitions.
He set the record for second highest cleen sheets in La Liga history with 213. His saves helped Real Madrid win 6 La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups, four Spanish Super Cups, and a European Cup Winners’ Cup trophy.
He played 542 La Liga matches, the 6th all-time highest. Possessing great reflexes as well as strong technical ability and excellent leadership skills on the pitch, his contributions to Real Madrid were invaluable.
Salvador Sadurni
Salvador Sadurní is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in La Liga history, having experienced an illustrious career that spanned 16 years with FC Barcelona.
Moreover, Sadurní was a reliable presence between the sticks, making more than 300 appearances for Barça in all competitions. His quick reactions, precise distributions, and incredible control over penalty kicks made him an invaluable asset.
His shot-stopping abilities helped him win the Ricardo Zamora Trophy three times, and he also won a La Liga title with Barcelona. He earned 10 caps and appeared in the 1964 European Nations’ Cup tournament.
Luis Arconada
Luis Arconada featured as a legendary goalkeeper for Real Sociedad for almost 20 years in La Liga during his career.
His reflexes, agility, and technical ability made him one of the most valuable Spanish players ever.
He set records for the 5th-highest clean sheets kept in La Liga (150) and won three Zamora Trophies, making him one of the seven goalkeepers ever to have achieved this feat.
He was an integral part of Real Sociedad’s success throughout his career, where he helped them win two league titles and a Copa del Rey cup.
A master between the posts, Luis Arconada’s legacy as one of the amazing goalkeepers in La Liga history is firmly established.
Santiago Canizares
Santiago Canizares is widely regarded as one of the most fantastic goalkeepers in La Liga history, boasting an impressive career with Valencia.
His reflexes were unparalleled and, coupled with his excellent technical abilities, helped him win numerous honors, such as four Zamora Trophies for Best Goalkeeper in La Liga, a Copa del Rey trophy, a UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup trophies, and two Super Cups.
Canizares’ heroics were instrumental in helping Valencia reach the Champions League final in 2001, where they narrowly lost out to Bayern Munich on penalties.
He also won 46 caps for Spain national team between 1993 to 2006, which speaks volumes about his longevity between the posts.
Jose Angel Iribar
José Ángel Iribar is one of the most respected goalkeepers in La Liga history. Known for his agility and reflexes, he was a formidable presence between the posts for two decades.
His career began with Basconia in 1961 before moving to Athletic Bilbao in 1962, where he spent 18 successful years becoming one of their greatest-ever goalkeepers in La Liga history.
He also represented Spain at the international level, playing 49 times for his country during his career.
Some of his awards and achievements include:
- Copa del Generalísimo: 1969, 1972–73; runner-up 1965–66, 1966–67, 1976–77
- UEFA Cup: runner-up 1976–77
- UEFA European Championship: 1964
Iribar’s skill as a goalkeeper was highly regarded throughout Spanish football circles and beyond – something that became apparent when he won the Zamora Trophy in the 1969–70 season.
“one of the greatest keepers Spain has ever produced. He was a big presence in goal and had that ability to intimidate opponents. But it wasn’t all about his size, which is useless on its own. He combined his physicality with terrific positioning.”
Iker Casillas
His lightning-quick reactions made him almost impossible to beat from close range and made it very difficult for strikers to score against him from any distance.
Furthermore, Iribar had outstanding positioning abilities, which allowed him to read plays early on and anticipate opponents’ moves before they were even made, making it nearly impossible for them to get past him into dangerous positions near goalmouths.
Jan Oblak
Currently, one of the Best Goalkeepers of La Liga in 2023 is Jan Oblak, and his honors reflect this. Since joining Atletico Madrid from Benfica in 2014, he has established himself as one of Europe’s top goalkeeping talents.
He has won five Zamora Trophies, making him one of only three players ever to have achieved this feat. His outstanding performances have helped Atletico to a Supercopa de Espana, a UEFA Europa League trophy, and a UEFA Super Cup.
He also helped Atletico win a La Liga title and reach the Champions League final.
Additionally, he was named Slovenian Footballer of the Year six times between 2015 and 2021, Primeira Liga Best Goalkeeper once (2013–14), UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season three times (2015–16; 2016–17; 2019–20) and many more awards throughout his career.
Antoni Ramallets
Antoni Ramallets is another legend in La Liga history. He played for Barcelona from 1946 to 1962, winning six La Liga titles and five Copa del Rey cups during his career.
His goalkeeping abilities were outstanding. He earned five Ricardo Zamora Trophies as the best goalkeeper in La Liga and 19 major club honors.
He also represented Spain at the 1950 FIFA World Cup and had a successful managerial career with Real Zaragoza, winning two major trophies.
His incredible talent on the pitch earned him many accolades throughout his lifetime. He passed away in 2013 at 89 years old, leaving behind an impressive legacy that will always be remembered by fans across La Liga.
Andoni Zubizarreta
Another name that fits into our list of best goalkeepers in La Liga history is Andoni Zubizarreta.
This Spanish goalkeeper played for Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, and Valencia in La Liga during his career, winning six La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey cups with the latter two teams. He holds the most cleen sheets in La Liga history with 235.
What’s more, when it comes to the best goalkeepers in Barcelona’s history, Victor Valdes and Andoni Zubizarreta are often mentioned in the same breath. While both were incredibly talented goalkeepers, there is one that stands out, and he is Andoni Zubizarreta.
Ricardo Zamora
Ricardo Zamora was one of the most influential goalkeepers in Spanish football history. Nicknamed ‘El Divino’ for his remarkable reflexes and technical skills, he played over 250 matches at the highest level in both La Liga and international competitions.
Moreover, during his time with Barcelona from 1919 to 1922, Zamora helped them win 2 Copa del Rey trophies and three Catalan Champions titles.
Ricard Zamora was an integral part of Barcelona and Real Madrid’s success in the 1920s and 1930s.
His agility, consistency, determination, and expertise cemented his legacy as one of the Best Goalkeepers in La Liga history. In his honor, La Liga’s top goalkeeper receives the Ricardo Zamora Trophy.
Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in football history. From winning five IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper Awards to setting records such as becoming the first goalkeeper to win 100 UEFA Champions League matches and being part of four FIFA World Cup tournaments, his accomplishments speak for themselves.
His influence on the game has been immense, not only by performing at an elite level but also by inspiring generations with his leadership abilities both on and off the pitch.
He made his professional debut with Real Madrid back in 1999 and went on to establish himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in La Liga history has the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League after playing over 1000 professional matches in his career. He won five La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, and two Copa del Rey cups.
His goalkeeping abilities were second to none, as evidenced by the fact that he was named IFFHS Best Goalkeeper in the World on five separate occasions between 2008 and 2012.
There’s no denying that Iker Casillas is a legend who will be remembered forever among fans around the world.
