As of April 21, 2026, no goalkeeper leads this race because no World Cup match has been played yet. That means every prediction is still an editorial watchlist, not an official FIFA ranking.
The Golden Glove often tells a different story from the scoring awards. One penalty shoot-out, one semi-final, or one run of saves can completely change the conversation, so this guide focuses on who has the strongest case before World Cup 2026 begins.
Quick Answer
Gianluigi Donnarumma is the strongest early pick because FIFA named him The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025. Emiliano Martinez is the closest challenger because he enters as the reigning World Cup Golden Glove holder and also won The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award in 2024.
How the Golden Glove Is Decided
The Golden Glove goes to the best overall goalkeeper of the tournament, selected by FIFA's Technical Study Group. Clean sheets matter, but they do not decide the prize alone.
Big-match saves, command under pressure, penalty moments and the difficulty of the matches all shape the final call.
In simple terms, a goalkeeper needs both excellence and enough high-leverage matches to build a winning case.
Main Goalkeepers to Watch Before Kickoff
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Donnarumma enters 2026 with the freshest major honour after FIFA named him The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025. That is the clearest recent recognition any keeper in this discussion has.
That mix of reputation, recent award recognition and strong team context makes him the cleanest early favourite.
Emiliano Martinez
Martinez remains the benchmark for tournament goalkeeper impact. He won the 2022 Golden Glove, then followed it by winning The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper again in 2024 after helping Argentina win another major title.
If Argentina reaches another semi-final or final, he will almost automatically be back in the last part of the discussion.
Yassine Bounou
Bounou is still one of the smartest dark-to-mainstream candidates in the whole award race. FIFA listed him among the final three for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award in both 2022 and 2023, which shows how highly his peak tournament performances are rated.
Morocco do not need to dominate games for him to build a Golden Glove case. They only need to stay alive long enough for him to decide big moments.
Mike Maignan
Maignan has a strong tournament profile because FIFA included him among the nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award in 2024. That keeps him firmly in the serious-contender tier before kickoff.
If France tightens up defensively in the knockout rounds, Maignan has a realistic path to the final shortlist.
Unai Simon
Unai Simon should not be overlooked because FIFA also included him among the nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award in 2024. That recognition matters because Spain are one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
Spain often limits shots, which can reduce the highlight reel, but the team structure also gives him a strong clean-sheet platform.
Contenders Comparison
| Player | Country | Club | Why He Is in the Conversation | World Cup History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Italy | Manchester City | The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025 | Yet to play at a men's World Cup finals |
| Emiliano Martinez | Argentina | Aston Villa | The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2024 | 2022 Golden Glove winner |
| Yassine Bounou | Morocco | Al-Hilal | The Best finalist in 2022 and 2023 | 2022 semi-final run with Morocco |
| Mike Maignan | France | Milan | Nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2024 | 2022 runner-up squad |
| Unai Simon | Spain | Athletic Club | Nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2024 | 2022 round of 16, 2026 main starter |
Dark Horse Candidates
Thibaut Courtois would always be a threat if Belgium defend well enough to give him a long run, and Dominik Livakovic has the penalty-box calm to become a headline name again if Croatia go further than expected. They start just outside the front line, but that can change quickly in a knockout tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gianluigi Donnarumma has the strongest current case after winning The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025.
FIFA's Technical Study Group selects the best overall goalkeeper at the tournament rather than using clean sheets alone.
Emiliano Martinez won the award at Qatar 2022.
Yes, if the performances are strong enough, but deep tournament runs usually help a lot.
Conclusion
Donnarumma and Emiliano Martinez are the two clearest starting points, but the Golden Glove rarely stays simple once knockout football begins. One penalty shoot-out, one heroic quarter-final or one semi-final clean sheet can completely reset the race.