Every World Cup Golden Glove Winner

The World Cup’s best goalkeeper has been recognized since 1994.

Emiliano Martínez is the current Golden Glove holder. | Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images

FIFA didn’t officially introduce the World Cup Golden Boot (then called the “Golden Shoe”) until 1982, and it took even longer for standout goalkeepers to receive some form of tangible recognition for their tournament performances.

Unlike other competitions, the World Cup Golden Glove award isn’t necessarily handed out to the shot-stopper boasting the most clean sheets. Instead, it is given to whomever is judged to have been the tournament’s best-performing goalkeeper.

In 2026, the Golden Glove will be handed out for the ninth time, with some of the sport’s greatest glovemen on the list of previous recipients.

Here’s the full list of past winners of the World Cup’s Golden Glove.

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Every World Cup Golden Glove Winner By Year

The award was initially named after legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. | Brennard/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The Golden Glove was initially called the “Yashin Trophy” in honor of legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, who died in March 1990. Yashin was called up to four World Cups between 1958 and 1970, playing at three and making 13 appearances. His team finished fourth in 1966 with Yashin between the posts.

Belgian stalwart Michel Preud'homme was the first Yashin Trophy winner in 1994, helping his country reach the last 16 with a pair of clean sheets in the group stage. Belgium was a dire watch, and it squeezed into the knockouts as one of the best third-place finishers, having scored just twice.

Its goal tally doubled in the first knockout round against Germany, who advanced with a 3–2 victory. Preud'homme, then 35, signed for Benfica before the tournament and would subsequently enjoy a prosperous career in the Portuguese capital well into his twilight.

Like several World Cup Golden Glove winners, Fabien Barthez was grateful for a stubborn defense on home soil in 1998. The future Manchester United goalkeeper, standing at 5'11", defied height slander and notched five clean sheets for France in seven appearances as Les Bleus enjoyed a euphoric summer.

His haul of five clean sheets was matched by the next three winners, with Oliver Kahn finishing third in 2002 Ballon d’Or voting off the back of one of the great goalkeeping campaigns.

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Full List of Golden Glove Winners

Year	Winner
1994	Michel Preud'homme (Belgium)
1998	Fabien Barthez (France)
2002	Oliver Kahn (Germany)
2006	Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
2010	Iker Casillas (Spain)
2014	Manuel Neuer (Germany)
2018	Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
2022	Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)

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The second of Gianluigi Buffon’s four World Cups ended in Italian glory, and the all-time great shot-stopper produced one of his finest saves to deny Zinedine Zidane in extra time of the final. Italy’s No. 1 conceded just once from open play all tournament and was the obvious Yashin Trophy winner.

It officially became the Golden Glove at the 2010 World Cup, and triumphant captain Iker Casillas got his hands on the award after denying Arjen Robben one-on-one with an incredible save with his legs. Casillas, while aided by Spain’s inability to give the ball away, didn’t concede a single goal in the knockout stages.

Manuel Neuer had established himself as the sport‘s finest goalkeeper by the time the next tournament rolled around in Brazil, and his individual success was befitting of his revolutionary antics between the posts. The German recorded four clean sheets and, like Kahn in 2002, finished third in Ballon d’Or voting that year.

There was a more understated brilliance to Thibaut Courtois in 2018, but nothing subdued about Emiliano Martínez’s campaign in 2022. Lionel Messi was Argentina’s hero in Qatar, yet he wouldn’t have enjoyed his crowning glory if it weren’t for Martínez, who was heroic in penalty shootout victories over the Netherlands and France.

Similar to Buffon and Casillas in 2006 and 2010, respectively, Argentina’s goalkeeper also produced a tournament-saving stop in the final. Martínez’s denial of Randal Kolo Muani deep into extra time was outstanding, altering soccer discourse forever.

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World Cup Golden Glove Winners By Country

Courtois wasn’t the first Belgian winner. | Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

There were eight winners of the Golden Glove before the 2026 World Cup, with only two nations boasting more than one victor. Belgium and Germany have two each.

France, Italy, Spain and Argentina are also represented in the award’s alumni.

Of the eight winners, five also helped their nations to the World Cup trophy. Kahn helped Germany to the final, while Belgium finished third with Courtois in 2018. Preud'homme’s team merely reached the last 16, but the veteran shot-stopper had been outstanding during the group stages.

Country	No. of Golden Glove WInners
Belgium	2
Germany	2
France	1
Italy	1
Spain	1
Argentina	1

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