Goalkeepers are often overlooked for player of the tournament awards, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s win at Euro 2020 might just have changed things for the shot-stoppers.
The Euros don’t have a Golden Glove award like the World Cup, but there are a whole host of top goalkeepers at Euro 2024, a number of whom will fancy themselves to win the coveted player of the tournament award.
It is, after all, very difficult to win a tournament without quality between the posts. So without further ado, here are our picks to be the best goalkeeper at Euro 2024.
Who is the best goalkeeper at Euro 2024?
A bit of luck is always needed to win a player of the tournament award in any sport. After all, a player could perform extraordinarily well, but if their teammates let them down, they might not make it far enough in the tournament to even be considered.
It is even more true for goalkeepers, even if the modern game now demands some skill in possession due to the backpass rule. Yet, goalkeeping is still a fundamentally reactive role, and reliant on the defence in front of them to keep clean sheets.
Could Donnarumma have won best player without the rock-solid pair of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci ahead of him? It's very open to dispute, but a few eye-catching saves can certainly swing it the way of a custodian.
The contenders
Mike Maignan
Despite France’s offensive struggles, defensively Les Bleus look as strong as ever.
Many wondered how France would recover from losing Raphael Varane and Hugo Lloris, but in Maignan and William Saliba, it could be argued that Didier Deschamps has received two upgrades.
Conceding just once in four games, Maignan leads the clean sheet charts with three, following another clean sheet against Belgium.
The AC Milan star also boasts the best save percentage at the tournament, stopping 92.3% of shots he has faced. He also ranks third for ‘goals prevented', only behind Jan Oblak and Giorgi Mamardashvili, both of whom have been much busier.
Maignan has also looked tidy in possession, and has form for a big moment, such as his crucial penalty save in the 2023 Champions League quarter finals.
Unai Simon
Just behind Maignan with two clean sheets is Spain's Unai Simon. The Bilbao man could have had three, but was rested for Spain's final group game against Albania in favour of David Raya.
Simon made a high-profile error at Euro 2020, but has cut a far more mature figure this tournament. Indeed, he has already saved a penalty from Bruno Petkovic, contributing to his average of 2.5 goals prevented.
Spain are rapidly becoming a favourite for the tournament too, and Simon is a big part of that.
Jordan Pickford
England have been thoroughly disappointing at Euro 2024 so far, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has still picked up two clean sheets in four games.
Truthfully, there was not much the Everton hero could’ve done to prevent either of the goals he has conceded so far.
Morten Hjulmand’s wonder strike from range through a crowd gave Pickford little chance, and Ivan Schranz' finish was utterly superb, with an expected-goals-on-target rating of 0.98.
In another world, Pickford may have won the Euro 2020 player of the tournament ahead of Donnarumma, had England’s takers scored their spot-kicks, as Pickford had a superb tournament, and even saved the usually unflappable Jorginho’s penalty.
With England on the easier side of the draw, bookmakers still back England to reach the final. If they get there, Pickford could further enhance his hero status.
Manuel Neuer
Rounding out our last is the inimitable, iconic and eccentric Manuel Neuer, who has kept two clean sheets.
The 38-year-old German is world-renowned for his ground-breaking style of play, sweeping ludicrously high up the pitch, and taking incredible responsibility in build up play, effortlessly moving the ball around onrushing strikers.
But he also knows how to keep the ball out of the net. Neuer has a colossal catalogue of audacious saves that he really has no right to make.
Neuer was crucial to the Germans’ 2014 World Cup win, and if they go all the way a decade on, he will be just as important.
