The FIFA World Cup Golden Glove honors the tournament’s best goalkeeper, recognizing the player who made the biggest impact between the posts during soccer’s biggest competition. Since its introduction in 1994, the award has been won by some of the greatest goalkeepers in World Cup history.
Originally known as the Yashin Award, in tribute to legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, the prize was renamed the Golden Glove in 2010. The honor is awarded after the final and considers performances throughout the entire tournament, not just the knockout rounds.
Several of the game’s greatest goalkeepers, including Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, and Emiliano Martínez, have earned the distinction after leading their national teams on memorable World Cup runs.
Every FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winner
Since FIFA officially introduced the award in 1994, these goalkeepers have received the tournament’s top individual honor:
Emiliano Martínez walks past the FIFA World Cup trophy after receiving the Golden Glove Award at Qatar 2022. Brunskill/Getty Images
| World Cup | Golden Glove winner | National team |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Emiliano Martínez | Argentina |
| 2018 | Thibaut Courtois | Belgium |
| 2014 | Manuel Neuer | Germany |
| 2010 | Iker Casillas | Spain |
| 2006 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy |
| 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Germany |
| 1998 | Fabien Barthez | France |
| 1994 | Michel Preud’homme | Belgium |
Why was the award called the Yashin Award?
When FIFA introduced the honor in 1994, it was named the Yashin Award after Lev Yashin, widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper in soccer history and the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or.
Beginning with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA renamed the trophy the Golden Glove, aligning it with the tournament’s other individual awards such as the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
Were goalkeepers recognized before 1994?
Although the Golden Glove didn’t officially exist before 1994, FIFA still acknowledged outstanding goalkeepers through selections to the tournament’s All-Star Team and other technical reports.
As a result, legendary goalkeepers such as Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Sepp Maier, Harald Schumacher, and Walter Zenga received recognition for their World Cup performances, even though no official Golden Glove trophy was awarded during their eras.
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The introduction of the award gave goalkeepers their own dedicated individual honor, highlighting the crucial role they play in determining World Cup champions.
