Juventus and Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon is the highest-ranked goalkeeper in the 2016 Goal 50.
The world’s most expensive No.1 turned 38 in January but he still managed to finish in 20th place, above fellow shot-stoppers Jan Oblak, Manuel Neuer and David de Gea.
Buffon’s lofty position is wholly unsurprising, with the former Parma starlet having re-established himself as the game’s greatest goalkeeper over the past 12 months.
Indeed, the Carrara native played a huge role in Juve winning a second consecutive league-and-cup double, making history earlier this year by going 973 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A – thus breaking Sebastiano Rossi’s 22-year record.
In May, meanwhile, Atletico Madrid ace Oblak equalled a record that had stood since 1994 by being beaten just 18 times during a single Liga season, a feat that also earned the Slovenian the Ricardo Zamora Trophy.
The 23-year-old, who ranked 29th in the 2016 Goal 50, also saved a crucial penalty from Thomas Muller during the Rojiblancos’ run to the Champions League final.
Manuel Neuer finished just four places behind Oblak in 33rd, after helping Germany reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016 by edging his penalty shootout battle with Buffon in France.
goal.com
