Goalkeepers are no longer only shot-stoppers. They are required to command their area, organise defence, save penalties and also initiate attacks with accurate passing. That combination of traditional and modern demands can make the difference between progress and early exit at a major tournament.

Bart Verbruggen retained the Netherlands’ No. 1 spot as they reached the Euro 2024 semifinals and is expected to keep that role at the World Cup. He conceded fewer than a goal per game for the Netherlands and recorded a 50% clean sheet rate. His distribution and sweeping ability stand out, drawing comparisons to Manuel Neuer and attracting interest from Europe’s elite.

Jordan Pickford is not the most glamorous name but remains crucial for England. The Everton shot-stopper celebrates saves with characteristic fervour, even screaming “Vamos!” in his distinctive Mackem voice. He often delivers in big moments, producing spectacular saves and performing in penalty shootouts; he might already be seen as a national hero had England’s attackers not faltered in the Euro 2020 final shootout.

Diogo Costa is a modern-day sweeper-keeper, comfortable with the ball at his feet and vital to Portugal’s possession style. He offers precise short and long passing and is an exceptional penalty specialist, saving over a quarter of spot-kicks he has faced for club and country (excluding shootouts). In Euro 2024 he repelled all three of Slovenia’s penalties in the round of 16, a feat not previously achieved at the European Championships.

Manuel Neuer, now in his forties, remains among the world’s best. As Bayern Munich stormed to another Bundesliga title in 2025–26, Neuer continued to excel with the aggressive sweeper-keeper game he helped pioneer. His reflexes may have dipped but his reading of the game, command of the penalty area and ability on the ball remain world class.

Switzerland moved on following Yann Sommer’s international retirement in 2024 and have Gregor Kobel as a capable successor. The 6’5″ Borussia Dortmund keeper conceded just two goals in five qualifying appearances and finished the club season with a Bundesliga-high 15 clean sheets, reinforcing his standing among Europe’s elite shot-stoppers.

Forget Lionel Messi—it was Emiliano Martínez who was truly Argentina’s hero in the 2022 World Cup final. He made a last-gasp added-time save to deny France a winner, got a glove to Kingsley Coman’s penalty in the shootout and used mind games ahead of Aurélien Tchouaméni’s miss. Martínez has continued to deliver for Aston Villa, helping them to a top-four Premier League finish and the Europa League title in 2025–26.

Alisson Becker remained reliable for Liverpool in an injury-disrupted campaign, excelling in one-on-one situations and offering pinpoint distribution. Heading into the tournament he has five clean sheets in nine World Cup appearances and 44 shutouts in 77 caps for Brazil.

Mike Maignan wears the No. 16 shirt for France but is his country’s first-choice keeper. Despite AC Milan’s torrid 2025–26 season, Maignan ranked among Serie A’s top performers for clean sheets, saves made and penalties saved. His reflexes mark him out as a truly elite shot-stopper and a strong World Cup could accelerate talk of a move away from San Siro.

After two and a half seasons with Aston Villa, Morgan Rogers is expected to attract serious transfer interest this summer. The Athletic report that almost all of Europe’s elite are circling the 23-year-old and that a move appears increasingly likely even though Rogers has not been agitating for one. Villa have priced any sale at the $134 million (£100 million) figure set by Jack Grealish’s 2021 move to Manchester City.

Liverpool remain admirers after watching Rogers in the penultimate Premier League fixture last term. The club value his ability on the left, but their recruitment priorities are said to be defensive reinforcements, a holding midfielder and more natural wide forwards. The managerial picture after Arne Slot’s successor—almost certainly Andoni Iraola—adds context to Liverpool’s plans.

Bayern Munich have also been linked as Vincent Kompany looks to deepen an attacking group featuring Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala. Bayern’s recent interest in other wide options, including a pivot towards PSV Eindhoven’s Ismael Saibari after Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona move, suggests they may be reluctant to make a nine-figure commitment and Rogers could be deterred by fierce competition for minutes.

Chelsea fit the BlueCo model of recruiting high-potential, Premier League-proven talent. The club’s failure to reach any European competition last season might be a drawback, but Xabi Alonso’s arrival and the possibility of a 3-4-2-1 setup similar to his Bayer Leverkusen side would create a role alongside Cole Palmer. Cole Palmer is identified as “a close friend of Rogers from their days at Manchester City’s academy,” a connection that could influence Rogers’s thinking.

Manchester United possess an existing relationship through Michael Carrick, who coached Rogers at Middlesbrough and used him 33 times. United’s return to the Champions League and a shortage of natural left-sided options—Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu are currently the only choices—make Rogers an attractive solution to relieve Bruno Fernandes of creative responsibility. Financing such a transfer alongside other targets remains a potential obstacle.

Each prospective destination offers different appeals and barriers: playing time, tactical fit and the financial threshold set by Villa will shape where Rogers might go this summer.

The Premier League Goal of the Season shortlist is set and the award will be decided this week after a public vote is combined with the views of an expert panel. Fans can cast their ballot on the Premier League official website until 12 p.m. BST (7 a.m. ET, 4 a.m. PT) on Wednesday, May 27.

Past winners show the prize is not reserved for household names. Sofiane Boufal took the 2016–17 honour and Julio Enciso won in 2022–23. The most recent recipient was Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, who had only arrived in England a few months earlier. Three former Premier League Goal of the Season winners — Son, Salah and Alejandro Garnacho — went on to claim the FIFA Puskás Award as the world’s most beautiful goal that year.

All but one of the strikes on the shortlist were official Goal of the Month winners during the campaign. There is no official Goal of the Month for May, but West Ham’s Taty Castellanos serves as the month’s representative in the season award. Striking the bouncing ball early caught the goalkeeper unaware and produced a sublime moment, although it was only a consolation and did not keep the Hammers in the Premier League.

The list also includes Kaoru Mitoma, who positioned himself at the far post and struck a near-perfect volley. Tottenham’s February Goal of the Month came from Dominic Solanke, an improvised scorpion kick that turned a poor cross into an excellent finish. Emiliano Buendía’s October goal for Aston Villa versus Tottenham began with a phenomenal pass from Matty Cash and a superb touch and layoff from Lucas Digne before the precision finish.

William Osula produced a last-minute winner to down Manchester United and then scored five more in his next eight league appearances to end the campaign strongly. Tyler Adams combined vision and execution to spot Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs off his line and deliver a long-range chip. Martín Zubimendi’s September goal against Nottingham Forest stood out among his five Premier League strikes for the season. Dominik Szoboszlai closed out a perfect August for Liverpool with an inch-perfect free kick to snatch a late winner over eventual champions Arsenal.

Voter preferences will be weighted with the expert panel’s selections to determine the final winner.