Joe Hart has made the transition from professional footballer to pundit seamlessly. The former England international has impressed viewers and fellow pundits alike with his knowledge, articulacy and professionalism.
Ex-goalkeepers offer a fresh perspective when analysing games and player performances. As goalkeeping is a specialised role, it demands specialised punditry at the highest level, and Hart has certainly provided that since joining BBC Sport and TNT Sports in 2024 following his retirement.
But who does Hart rate as the world’s best goalkeeper - not just now, but also in football history? In GiveMeSport’s rankings of the best goalkeepers of all time, we have the legendary Lev Yashin in pole position. The former Soviet Union shot-stopper, who died in 1990, remains the only ‘keeper to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award and even has a FIFA accolade named in his honour.
But when asked to name the greatest goalkeeper of all time during an interview with TNT Sports, Yashin was overlooked by Hart in favour of another goalkeeping icon. In fact, there was zero hesitation when the former Manchester City star gave his answer.
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Hart Names Greatest Goalkeeper of All Time
Italian icon Buffon singled out by Englishman
Gianluigi Buffon
“The best goalkeeper of all time?” Hart was asked, to which the 37-year-old emphatically responded: “Gianluigi Buffon”. Many modern-day players and fans would concur with Hart’s opinion. Buffon, who managed to play until the age of 45 before bringing the curtain down on his illustrious career in August 2023, is unquestionably one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history.
A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, Buffon won a host of major team and individual honours over the course of his 28-year playing career, primarily with Juventus. He was also capped 176 times by the Azzurri, making it even more of a shock that his son, Louis, recently decided to pledge his international future to another country instead.
There’s clearly great mutual respect between Hart and Buffon. Back in 2015, the Italian said: “I’ve been watching his game for a few years now, and Joe Hart is now for me one of the top three goalkeepers in the world.”
Even when Hart was coming to the end of his career at Celtic, Buffon was keeping a close eye on the Englishman. He told reporters, per the Daily Record, in 2022: “The way Joe is playing this season is no surprise to me he has always been a great goalkeeper. He just needed a place to call home again. He is a player I watched develop and I saw he had everything that was needed to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
Hart Names World's Current Best Goalkeeper
He named Thibaut Courtois as the world's best, and Alisson as Premier League's best
Thibaut Courtois
With Buffon no longer active, though, who does Hart rate as the world’s current best goalkeeper? While he named Liverpool’s Alisson as the Premier League’s current best goalkeeper, it was Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois who Hart believes is the best in the business right now. Watch the video in full:
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