The IFFHS compiles these lists on behalf of FIFA, in order to archive the history and statistics of the game. The list includes quite a few goalkeepers who made a name for themselves in the past two decades, such as Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer. Nevertheless, the former Soviet goalkeeper tops the list.

From factory to field

Yashin was born in 1929 in Moscow, and in his youth saw the consequences of fighting the fascist armies of Nazi Germany during World War II. After his family was forced to flee Moscow, he worked with his father, a metalworker, on the assembly line of a munitions factory in Ulyanosk. After the war, Yashin joined the army and went to work at an aircraft factory. There he played regularly for the factory football team, after which he was invited in 1949 by Dynamo Moscow, at that time one of the best clubs in the Soviet Union.

From 1954 onwards, Yashin managed to secure a permanent place in goal, which resulted in five state championships and three USSR cups. For the Soviet Union national team, he took part in three World Championships, where the Soviet Union finished fourth in 1966. He had previously won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games. Thanks to a strong performance in the final against Yugoslavia, he led the Soviet Union to victory in the European Championship in 1960. He also saved more than 150 penalties in his career, an exceptional number. In comparison: number two on the list, Buffon, saved 'only' thirty penalties in his 20-year career.

Revolutionary style

Although Yashin possessed the right physical qualities that are important for a goalkeeper – tall, strong and quick reflexes – his selection is also a recognition of the Soviet sports model. This gave young athletes the opportunity to develop through good training infrastructures and coaches. The model emphasized scientifically based training methods and teamwork. Yashin combined his physical qualities with strategic 'reading' of the game. In practice, this meant that he developed a style of play that was revolutionary compared to his colleagues of the time.

In the fifties and sixties, it was common for a goalkeeper to stay as close to his goal as possible, to make saves there. Yashin stood out because of his spectacular diving and aggressive playing style. For example, he was not afraid to come far from his goal line and run towards the opponent, or to throw himself between a tangle of players to get the ball. Through his training, he learned where the ball would move and then to anticipate it. Another revolutionary aspect of his game was organizing the defence and continuing the game after a save. Through his clever positioning, he could immediately set up a counterattack for his team.