The Golden Glove race is harder to track than the Golden Boot because it is not only about clean sheets. Saves, command, penalty moments and the difficulty of the matches all shape how a goalkeeper is judged through a World Cup.
This tracker starts with the pre-tournament picture, then shifts into a live race once World Cup 2026 kicks off in June.
Quick Answer
No one leads the live Golden Glove race yet because the tournament has not started. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Emiliano Martinez carry the strongest pre-kickoff cases thanks to recent FIFA recognition and proven major-tournament pedigree.
Current Golden Glove Standings
The standings below reflect the pre-tournament position. Once World Cup matches begin, the table can be read as a live clean-sheet and goalkeeper-impact tracker.
| Rank | Player | Country | Clean Sheets | Matches Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Italy | 0 | 0 |
| T-1 | Emiliano Martinez | Argentina | 0 | 0 |
| T-1 | Yassine Bounou | Morocco | 0 | 0 |
| T-1 | Mike Maignan | France | 0 | 0 |
| T-1 | Unai Simon | Spain | 0 | 0 |
Top Contenders Before the Tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Donnarumma has the strongest current award profile because FIFA named him The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025. UEFA's 2026 qualifying stats page for Italy also shows three clean sheets in seven matches, which keeps his form case active heading into the tournament.
If Italy is organised and hard to break down, he will quickly move from pre-tournament favourite to live leader.
Emiliano Martinez
Martinez is the last World Cup Golden Glove winner and FIFA also named him The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper in 2024. That is a serious combination because it joins proven World Cup quality with fresh award recognition.
Argentina also know how to protect a lead late in matches, which naturally strengthens his Golden Glove case.
Yassine Bounou
Bounou remains a live contender because of his big-match record. UEFA's award and performance history still points to his penalty expertise and his huge role in knockout football, while Morocco's 2022 World Cup run showed how valuable he becomes in tight tournament games.
If Morocco stays compact again, Bounou will not need many high-volume matches to enter the shortlist.
Past Golden Glove Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Michel Preud'homme | Belgium | 2 clean sheets |
| 1998 | Fabien Barthez | France | 5 clean sheets |
| 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Germany | 5 clean sheets |
| 2006 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | 5 clean sheets |
| 2010 | Iker Casillas | Spain | 5 clean sheets |
| 2014 | Manuel Neuer | Germany | 4 clean sheets |
| 2018 | Thibaut Courtois | Belgium | 3 clean sheets |
| 2022 | Emiliano Martinez | Argentina | 3 clean sheets |
How the Golden Glove Is Decided
The Golden Glove is not automatically awarded to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. FIFA's Technical Study Group selects the best overall tournament goalkeeper, which means saves, command, big-match impact and pressure moments all matter.
That is why Oliver Kahn's 2002 award still stands as such a strong example. The prize goes to the goalkeeper who defines the tournament most clearly, not only the one who sees the least action.
Frequently Asked Questions
No goalkeeper is leading yet because the tournament has not started and every contender begins on zero clean sheets.
FIFA's Technical Study Group selects the best overall goalkeeper of the tournament, not simply the player with the most clean sheets.
Emiliano Martinez won the award for Argentina at Qatar 2022.
The award is confirmed at the end of the tournament, once FIFA finalises its post-final honours.