Goalkeepers often find themselves snubbed for the grandest individual prizes in world football.
The Ballon d'Or - the most high-profile award on offer - seldom considers those guarding nets across the world, instead focusing on sharpshooting centre-forwards, gliding midfielders and, for the past two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
However, the Yashin Trophy has helped boost morale in goalkeeping circles, offering recognition to the best performing shot-stoppers across the globe.
Here's everything you need to know about the Yashin Trophy.
What is the Yashin Trophy?
The Yashin Trophy is handed out to the best men's goalkeeper every year, with the award presented by France Football at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. It was only conceived in 2019 and there have been just four past winners as a result, with 2020's award cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The winner is now chosen based on their performances from the previous season - 2023/24 in the case of the 2024 award handed out on 28 October - and is selected by a number of former Ballon d'Or winners.
Lev Yashin has inspired the name of the award following his legendary goalkeeping performances from 1950 to 1970.
Who is Lev Yashin?
Yashin's name graces the award as a tribute to an icon of world football. The late Soviet Union and Dynamo Moscow star is the only goalkeeper to have ever won the Ballon d'Or, claiming the prize all the way back in 1963.
Having made 74 appearances for his country - winning gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics - and spending two decades with Dynamo Moscow, Yashin established himself as one of the greatest stoppers of all time with cat-like reflexes and incredible agility.
Past winners of the Yashin Trophy
Only four players have won the Yashin Trophy, starting with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson in 2019. The Brazilian's sensational performances for the Reds had helped them win the Champions League title that year. He was also the recipient of The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award.
With Euro 2020 having been delayed until 2021, the winning goalkeeper at the tournament was always likely to catch the eye come the Ballon d'Or ceremony. That turned out to be the case as Gianluigi Donnarumma guided Italy to the title, saving two penalties in the shootout in the final against England.
Thibaut Courtois was the next victor in 2022 after one of the most memorable Champions League displays ever seen from a goalkeeper - in the final no less. As Real Madrid beat Liverpool to the title, the Belgium international made nine saves and kept a clean sheet.
International glory was again key in the 2023 vote as World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez scooped the prize for his displays with Argentina. The divisive stopper proved a penalty shootout hero in the quarter-final and final, while he also produced one of the all-time saves to deny Randal Kolo Muani an extra-time winner in the showpiece event.
Spare a thought for Manchester City's Ederson, though. Undoubtedly one of the most transformative goalkeepers in modern football, he has been nominated three times without winning, peaking with a second-placed finish in 2023.
Every Yashin Trophy winner
Year | Winner | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Alisson | Liverpool | Brazil |
2021 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Paris Saint-Germain | Italy |
2022 | Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid | Belgium |
2023 | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa | Argentina |
Nominees for the 2024 Yashin Trophy
Donnarumma and Martinez are the only goalkeepers capable of winning the Yashin Trophy again in 2024, with both among the ten nominees this year.
However, it's the South American who is most likely to scoop the prize for a second successive season after his heroics with Aston Villa in 2023/24 helped secure Champions League football. He followed up his Premier League showings by winning the Copa America and the tournament's Golden Glove - adding to his 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup Golden Glove awards.
There are eight goalkeepers vying for a first Yashin Trophy, including Euro 2024 winner Unai Simon, but it's Ronwen Williams who is the most surprising nominee. The only player playing outside of Europe who's up for the award, the Mamelodi Sundowns and South Africa goalkeeper shone at the Africa Cup of Nations after saving four penalties in a single shootout.
The full list of nominees is as follows:
- Diogo Costa
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Gregor Kobel
- Andriy Lunin
- Mike Maignan
- Giorgi Mamardashvili
- Emiliano Martinez
- Unai Simon
- Yann Sommer
- Ronwen Williams
READ MORE ON THE 2024 BALLON D'OR NOMINEES & FAVOURITES
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