2022 World Cup goalkeeper power rankings: Matchday 1

Business

To have a good World Cup campaign, you need to have a good goalkeeper, and plenty are impressing between the sticks in Qatar.

Here are our top 10 stoppers from the first round of group stage fixtures.

Vanja Milinkovic-SavicVanja Milinkovic-Savic

He did his best to keep Brazil at bay / Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages

Milinkovic-Savic was always going to have a busy night in the Serbia goal against Brazil, and while he conceded two, he also made a lot of good saves and performed well on the whole.

Wojciech SzczesnyWojciech Szczesny

Szczesny was one of Poland’s better players / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages

Poland’s goalkeeper was one of their few positives in their 0-0 draw with Mexico, with Szczesny performing well to keep a clean sheet.

BonoBono

Bono looks a safe pair of hands / VIRGINIE LEFOUR/GettyImages

Morocco’s goalkeeper is now the best Bono around in our books, partly because he made some really good saves to keep a clean sheet against Croatia and partly because he didn’t forcibly place a crap album on our phones.

Aymen DahmenAymen Dahmen

Dahmen earned his team a point / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

Tunisia’s Dahmen wasn’t tested as much as he would have expected against Denmark but still made five saves to ensure his team picked up a point.

Mohammed Al-OwaisMohammed Al-Owais

Al-Owais helped pull off a huge shock / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Owais also had a quieter day than expected in his side’s shock win over Argentina, but the goalkeeper played his part, keeping out five efforts on his goal.

Andries NoppertAndries Noppert

Noppert made the dream debut / Dean Mouhtaropoulos/GettyImages

In one of the World Cup’s greatest stories, Noppert made his international debut on the biggest stage just two years after being without a club and considering retirement, and the story was made even better by the fact that he was excellent against Senegal, making some seriously good saves.

Guillermo OchoaGuillermo Ochoa

Ochoa loves a World Cup / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages

Every four years, Ochoa pops up out of nowhere to look like one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and it looks like he’ll do so again this year after he saved Robert Lewandowski’s penalty to give his team a point.

Yann SommerYann Sommer

Sommer was typically impressive / Fantasista/GettyImages

Sommer was named Man of the Match in Switzerland’s opener against Cameroon and with good reasons, with the veteran keeper keeping the African side out of five occasions.

Thibaut CourtoisThibaut Courtois

Courtois spared his team’s blushes / Etsuo Hara/GettyImages

Knowing Courtois, he wouldn’t have been too happy that Kevin De Bruyne was named Man of the Match against Canada rather than him, and rightfully so. He saved a penalty and two other efforts to give his team the win they didn’t deserve.

Shūichi GondaShūichi Gonda

Gonda was unbeatable from open play / ATPImages/GettyImages

Gonda made a whopping eight (!) saves against Germany, including four in quick succession, to give his side three points that could see them make it out of the Group of Death.