Courtois Still the World's Best Goalkeeper, Says Former Belgium Defender Albert

Thibaut Courtois is still the best goalkeeper in the world, according to former Belgium defender Philippe Albert, who says the Real Madrid man has seen off the likes of David Raya, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alisson.

Albert told GOAL that Courtois has been at the top for well over a decade. "Thibaut, over the last 15 years, has been in the top three best goalkeepers in the world. And now, over the last seven, eight years, no one is better than him," he said.

He admitted he may be a little biased, but he made it clear where he stands on the national team too. "He doesn't play in the national team at the moment. Senne Lammens is playing at the moment for the national team. Lammens is a good goalkeeper, but Thibaut is the best."

Albert said it is hard to follow a keeper like Courtois. "It's always difficult to succeed a goalkeeper like this because every club he played for, he was important, he was tremendous. He won every trophy possible as a football player and he always did great things for every club he played for.

"I have a lot of respect for him and we were very lucky and we are still very lucky to have a goalkeeper like Thibaut who is playing for us."

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Courtois made his first-team debut at Genk at 16. Chelsea signed him for €9 million in 2011, but with Petr Cech already there, he spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid. He won the Europa League there and began to be seen as one of the best in the game. Back at Chelsea, he won two league titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup in 154 games over four seasons.

Real Madrid signed him in 2018 for £35m, and he has played 345 games for the club since. Other keepers have made a case for themselves, including former Manchester City man Ederson and Atletico's Jan Oblak. Unai Simon is a World Cup winner with Spain, and that has kept Arsenal's Golden Glove winner Raya on the bench.

Courtois is now 34, and he is on the 10-man shortlist for Best Goalkeeper at the 2026 Ballon d'Or. He is up against Yassine Bounou, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emi Martinez, Edouard Mendy, Raya, Matvey Safonov, Simon and Vozinha. 

He won the Yashin Trophy in 2022 and was named The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2018. There is talk of a new deal that would keep him at the Bernabeu until 2028.