Since its establishment in 1929, La Liga has always been a stepping stone pushing the boundaries of football excellence, and nowhere is this best depicted than between the posts.
Ever since its existence, La Liga has been a host to some of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play the beautiful game.
These goalkeepers mesmerized the world with their acrobatics, reflexes, and leadership to become, at times, the last line of defense for the team and the first line of inspiration for aspiring goalkeepers worldwide.
However, ranking goalkeepers in such a league is not that easy. It has been one of the different eras, and every era has presented its different problems and style of play.
The goalkeepers have also stood behind different defensive set-ups, with central defenders varying in caliber and playing philosophy. The game changes; therefore, what was exceptional during one period might be different in another one.
That said, if we strip back the complexities and look purely at their numbers—for team honors, longevity, peak performance, statistical success within La Liga, and domestic competitions—the picture begins to firm up a little more.
It’s one of not only the very finest to have graced the Spanish top flight but also one that recognizes their contribution not only to their teams but also to the fabulous legacy of La Liga itself.
Let’s get straight into it
1. Iker Casillas
With five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies to his name, he’s easily a candidate for the best goalkeeper La Liga has ever seen.
With only a single Zamora Trophy to his name, the list of individual awards, plus club and country medals he’s gathered in his glittering career, is a great indication of his class.
He was named World’s Best Goalkeeper for five years in a row, to the UEFA Team of the Year for five consecutive years, and holds the record for the most clean sheets in Champions League history.
Most Madridistas regard Casillas as the undisputed GOAT goalkeeper—an accolade that says a lot, considering the club’s colorful history of top-class goalkeepers.
Born and raised in Madrid, Casillas joined his hometown club at just 9 years old and spent eight years honing his skills in the youth academy.
He made his first-team debut at 18, never looked back, and returned 510 appearances in La Liga over 16 seasons for the Blancos.
On the other hand, Casillas would be the constant in times of change, winning several titles as captain to really etch his legacy as one of the all-time greats.
2. Andoni Zubizarreta
That legendary goalkeeper who redefined consistency and excellence in La Liga.
622 games played with 233 clean sheets is what makes him the undisputed king of the league. Much like fine wine, Zubizarreta seemed to only improve with age.
This was evident in the 17 breathtaking years he spent playing for Athletic Bilbao, F.C. Barcelona, and Valencia C.F.
He was a rock for coaches, as he never spent less than 33 league appearances in any one season, even at 37 years young.
Zubizarreta started off his journey in 1981 with Athletic Bilbao, becoming very quickly the first-choice goalkeeper, winning with the team consecutive league titles and also the 1984 Copa del Rey.
Such were his performances that Barcelona came calling in 1986, and with the team, he went on to win many titles, including four La Ligas, the 1990 Copa del Rey, and the 1992 Supercopa de España as the captain of that great ‘Dream Team.
Zubizarreta was a goalkeeper of immense technical ability and excellent positioning, and his calmness gave confidence to teammates but frustrated opposing teams.
With well over 120 caps for the national team, in addition to a slew of club honors, Zubizarreta stands as an all-time great, and his legacy inspires goalkeepers to this day.
3. Antoni Ramallets
Ramallets was the unsung hero behind FC Barcelona’s golden era.
This agile and intelligent shot-stopper was far more than just a goalkeeper in holding together team dominance through the decade of the 1950s.
In 1946, he joined Barcelona and patiently waited for a breakthrough into the team of veterans and later made the most of it when the opportunity came his way.
In 1949, with the injury to Juan Zambudio Velasco, he became the main goalkeeper and then led this team most extraordinarily, winning four La Liga titles and four Copas del Generalísimo between 1951 and 1960.
He was the calm hand by which legends like László Kubala, Sándor Kocsis, and Luis Suárez shone brightly. Ramallets’ efforts were one of those that usually went unnoticed; however, by no means was he an exception.
He is still one of the La Liga goalkeepers with five Ricardo Zamora Trophies to his name, proof of his high level and good work.
By the time he retired in 1962, Ramallets had provided 288 La Liga appearances and 16 years as a first-team member of the Barcelona squad.
He wasn’t a flashy player by any means, but Ramallets was the rock that held things together during their golden period.
4. Jan Oblak
The Slovenian has perhaps cemented his status as one of the world’s best goalkeepers with four Ricardo Zamora Trophies under his belt.
His stats are mind-blowing: 224 games, 121 clean sheets, and a clean sheet percentage of 54 percent! To put this into perspective, legends like Andoni Zubizarreta and Víctor Valdés are nowhere near that figure.
The success that Oblak achieves is not about the solid defense Atletico fields, as he is the true architect behind the goalkeeping powerhouse.
Joining Atletico in 2014, he has proven to be the best goalkeeper La Liga has to offer, never conceding more than 27 goals in a season. In his very first season, he broke the record by equalling Francisco Liaño’s record for fewest goals conceded.
This traditional style of Oblak makes him a breath of fresh air in the modern game.
Added to his leadership is raw talent, which makes him a game-changer. The Slovenian, though, is yet to win a Spanish domestic trophy as a number-one goalkeeper, but his influence on Atletico’s success cannot be understated.
He is the spine of their defense, and his saves frequently make the difference between winning and losing. Oblak is well-placed in the top 5, and he will continue to shatter records for years to come.
5. Francisco Buyo
Third all-time in La Liga appearances when he retired, Francisco Buyo clocked more than 100 outings for Deportivo before lengthy spells with Sevilla and Real Madrid.
In the 1980 season, a 22-year-old Buyo made his La Liga debut with Sevilla FC. Starting duties were given to him soon after his arrival. He would make 30 or more La Liga appearances in each of six seasons in Seville and backstop the club to as high as 5th in the league.
Performances by Buyo did not bypass Real Madrid, and in 1986, he signed up with the club as the substitute for Miguel Ángel González Suárez.
Despite competition from José Manuel Ochotorena and Agustín Rodríguez Santiago, he continued to be the starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid throughout 11 consecutive seasons, which again proves his consistency and reliability.
Thus, becoming a fabled member of both the ‘Quinta del Buitre’ and the ‘Quinta de los Machos’ eras, Buyo won everything that was to be won at the domestic level.
The Galician goalkeeper made 343 La Liga appearances in the colors of Real Madrid and won six La Ligas, four Supercopa de Españas, and two Copa del Reys during his Blancos tenure. He also won two Ricardo Zamora Trophies in 1988 and 1992.
He may have earned only seven full Spain caps, but that’s due to circumstance, not ability. Buyo is, without question, one of the greatest goalkeepers in La Liga history.
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6. Víctor Valdés
Valdés – the goalkeeper who divides opinion among football supporters. Some claim that he’s overhyped and, well, a bit of a liability, who shone due to the brilliant team in front of him at Barcelona.
Others say he is a legend of the club, tailor-made for the tiki-taka style, and very instrumental to the success of this team. Personally, I will say it somewhere in the middle.
Valdés indeed made some big-game mistakes, and he had the benefit of playing with Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta.
However, he remains one of the best goalkeepers in Barcelona’s history and among the greatest in La Liga.
You don’t play 387 games for one of the world’s finest teams if you aren’t an exceptional talent. While Valdés had his weaknesses, he was undeniably a world-class goalkeeper who played at the back of Barcelona, featuring in 12 domestic titles including six league championships.
He added to those five Ricardo Zamora Trophies as well as establishing him in the lore of Spanish goalkeeping.
He was a true master of shot-stopping and performing with his feet—already a very rare and precious attribute for a team. However he may not have been to everyone’s taste, but he certainly left his mark on the beautiful game.
7. Santiago Cañizares
With that blond mane of hair and reflexes like few others, Cañizares was born to make a difference. He made an instant impact upon bursting onto the scene with RC Celta de Vigo back in 1993, going on to share the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in his very first season.
Then, in 1994, came the call from Real Madrid, but it would be with Valencia CF, whom he played for a decade from 1998 to 2008, that Cañizares would truly be crowned as legendary.
He became a record league appearance holder at the club with 305 matches, leading them to unequaled success: with Cañizares between the posts, Valencia won two La Liga titles, their first in over 30 years, and their only Supercopa de España in 1999.
He also kept a clean sheet in the 1999 Copa del Rey final, securing another trophy for the club. A four-time Zamora Trophy winner, Cañizares is one of the all-time greats.
Other Best Goalkeepers In La Liga History
- Luis Arconada
- José Ángel Iribar
- Ricardo Zamora
- Ignacio Eizaguirre
- Juan Acuña
- José Vicente
- Keylor Navas
- Thibaut Courtois
