Which goalkeepers have worn the armband from the back as their teams won major honours?
It is one thing to command your box but another level of challenge to command the entire team. Some teams chose a goalkeeper to captain the side as they can see the full game while others may opt in to the idea solely based upon the strong leadership and interpersonal skills the top goalkeepers breath. Goalkeepers have captained sides at the very top level; we’re going to take you through some goalkeepers who captained their teams to the ultimate prizes.
The World Cup trophy is regarded as the top prize in football by most onlookers, due to its rarity and the culture that surrounds it. In 1982 Dino Zoff captained his Italy side to world glory in Spain. He became the oldest ever player to win the World Cup and only the second ever goalkeeping captain to win the trophy. It was the first time this had happened since football had left its black and white era in 1934.
In 2010, one of the all time greats added himself to this exclusive club. Iker Casillas led Spain to their first star above the badge in South Africa. Concluding a fantastic tournament, Casillas made a crucial 1v1 stop against Arjen Robben in the final to keep the hopes of his country alive. The final finished a goal to nil in favour of Spain as midfield maestro Andres Iniesta wrote his name into history against the Netherlands in extra time, allowing Casillas to get his hands on the trophy.
In 2018 the baton was passed to french commander Hugo Lloris in Russia. After suffering the disappointment of conceding a late Eder goal in the Euro 2016 final two years prior, Lloris walked his team out of the tunnel in Moscow to face Croatia in the World Cup’s ultimate showdown. France dominated the final from the start, running out 4-2 winners. Despite making an error leading directly to a goal from Mario Mandzukic, Hugo Lloris became the most recent goalkeeping captain to lift football's most prestigious trophy.
Club trophies provide a more regular opportunity for a goalkeeper to captain their side to silverware. Club football's highest standard is that of the Champions League, which has been lifted by a variety of goalkeepers.
Another great of the game, Manuel Neuer lifted the Champions League in 2020. This was his second time winning the competition but the first victory as captain of Bayern Munich. A strong performance from the German between the sticks lead Bayern to beat PSG by a goal to nil behind closed doors during the COVID pandemic.
On the topic of Bayern Munich, they were defeated by Manchester United in one of the Champions League’s most famous ever comebacks. On that infamous night in 1999, United were captained by the towering Danish figure of Peter Schmeichel between the sticks. Scoring two goals in injury time in Barcelona, the Red Devils got their hands on their first European trophy in over 30 years. The Danish goalkeeper won a glamorous collection of silverware across the span of his Manchester United career, but this one is surely the finest.
It is said that the apple never falls far from the tree, and in our next goalkeeping family that is certainly the case. Both halves of one of the most famous footballing father son duos make our list. After previously defeating 5000/1 odds to become a champion of England in 2016, Kasper Schmeichel led his beloved Leicester to their first ever FA Cup glory in 2021. Schmeichel Jr. walked his side out of the tunnel at Wembley ahead of Leicester defeating Chelsea 1-0 within the original 90 minutes. This cup final win completed Leicester’s collection of every English trophy in the football pyramid.
The FA cup has been lifted by many a goalkeeping great, but perhaps few as charismatic as Englishman David Seaman, who led his famous Arsenal side to not one but two FA cups. In 1998 he won the domestic double as Arsenal also won the Premier league that year. Succeeding this remarkable achievement, he again captained the club to a second FA cup trophy in four years, winning the competition in 2002 as Arsenal beat London rivals Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium.
