The World Cup is just around the corner. The quadrennial tournament officially begins June 14 with the hosts, Russia, taking on Saudi Arabia. There are several nations who fancy their chances at taking home the trophy in July.
Among these nations are defending champions, Germany and a Messi-led Argentina, who finished as runner-up four years ago. The World Cup is an amazing opportunity for fans to watch the most exciting players across the globe compete against one another for a month.
Among these players are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mo Salah.
While everybody loves attacking soccer and a bunch of goals, goalkeepers are arguably the most important position on the field. With that being said, the following goalkeepers are players to watch out for this summer, as their performances will be imperative to their team's success or failure.
1) David De Gea (Spain, Manchester United)
Manchester United's season was seen as underwhelming as the Red Devils failed to bring home any hardware after winning three trophies the previous season. Although the club did not see much success as a whole, De Gea managed to win the Golden Glove as he managed to produce the cleanest sheet in the 2017/2018 Premier League season. With Spain considered to be one of the favorites to win the tournament, they will be counting on De Gea to produce the same results for his country.
He was touted as one of the best by AllAfrica, who cited the Guardian.
2) Ederson Moraes (Brazil, Manchester City)
Ederson made the move to the Premier League last summer for a record transfer fee in his position. When the transfer was made, many people were confused at how such a young keeper with no prior Premier League experience could go for such a hefty fee.
Ike Shorunmu told The Guardian that Ederson has some inconsistency in the goalpost, AllAfrica reported.
Despite the doubts, Ederson lived up to his large fee by proving to be one of the most talented players in the league. Not only is Ederson a great shot-stopper, he is also the most talented keeper in terms of distribution in England.
Ederson's passing ability will be vital to launching Brazil's attacking threats like Neymar and Coutinho. However, it is still yet to be confirmed whether Ederson or Roma's Alisson will be in the starting 11 for Brazil's first match. But Ederson will no doubt get his chance to impress in Russia.
3) Marc Andre Ter Stegen (Germany, Barcelona)
Ter Stegen is coming off a season in Spain where he and his Barcelona teammates managed to win two domestic trophies in La Liga and Copa Del Ray. Ter Stegen has continuously proved his worth at club level. Due to an injury to Germany's first choice keeper, Manuel Neuer, Ter Stegen also proved his worth on the international stage during Germany's flawless qualification run.
Kwese ESPN once described him as possibly the "best goalkeeper in the world."
Ter Stegen is a keeper blessed with sharp reflexes, meaning he is able to react to shots from a close range. Also labeled as a 'Sweeper-Keeper' Ter Stegen is able to come off his line and deal with balls that manage to slip through Germany's back line. If Germany is to successfully defend their 2014 World Cup win, Ter Stegen will have to play a huge role.
