The FIFA World Cup transcends all borders and unites people all across the world beyond cultures and languages. This ultimate tournament transforms rivals into communities, forming a collective joy and national pride, while celebrating individual excellence with prestigious honors for different players.

While the iconic FIFA World Cup Trophy remains the ultimate prize, several individual honors are also up for grabs. Among them is the Golden Glove, awarded to the tournament’s best goalkeeper. Reserved for the shot-stopper who delivers standout performances throughout the competition, the accolade has become one of the most coveted individual awards in international football. So, what exactly is the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove, and how is its winner decided? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove award? 

The FIFA World Cup Golden Glove is an award presented to the tournament’s best goalkeeper, chosen by the FIFA Technical Study Group. 

This award was first given in 1994 (originally named the Yashin Award). It honors the shot-stopper who delivers the most outstanding performance, both statistically and visually.

The name of the Lev Yashin Award was changed in 2006. Beginning with the 2010 tournament in South Africa, FIFA rebranded and simplified the name to the Golden Glove. 

Unlike awards determined by a single statistic, the Golden Glove is not automatically given to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. Instead, FIFA considers the player’s overall contribution across the tournament, rewarding the shot-stopper who delivers the most outstanding performances on football’s biggest stage.

How is the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winner decided? 

The FIFA World Cup Golden Glove Winner is decided by a group called TSG, or the Technical Study Group. This is a dedicated panel of experienced coaches, former players, and football analysts appointed by the governing body.

Unlike the Golden Boot, which is strictly decided by raw statistics, or the Golden Ball, which has a media vote, the Golden Glove is based on expert evaluation.

The TSG considers a goalkeeper’s overall performances throughout the tournament, including crucial saves, consistency, command of the penalty area, leadership, clean sheets and impact in key moments. The award ultimately recognizes the goalkeeper who has made the greatest overall contribution to their team’s World Cup campaign.

Who votes for the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove award? 

The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) evaluates goalkeepers throughout the tournament before selecting the Golden Glove winner. While FIFA does not publish a fixed scoring formula, the panel considers a range of factors, including clean sheets, total saves, command of the penalty area and performances in high-pressure situations.

Modern analysis heavily utilizes data such as expected goals on target (xGOT) averted, which gauges the difficulty and marker of the shots a goalkeeper really faces, corresponding to how many goals they concede.

On top of that, high-pressure moments carry enormous weight. A goalkeeper who delivers crucial, game-winning saves in knockout rounds or penalty shootouts is heavily favored for this award.

Who won the FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Glove? 

Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez of Argentina won the Golden Glove award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Argentina national football team shot-stopper was chosen by the Technical Study Group after playing an extremely important role in leading his country to their third World Cup title.

In the final second of extra time with the scores tied 3-3, Martinez made an iconic, spread-eagled left-leg save against Randal Kolo Muani to prevent a French victory. On top of that, he also saved Kingsley Coman’s penalty in the final shootout, duplicating the heroics from the quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands, where he intercepted two spot-kicks.

Lastly, Martinez started all 7 matches in Argentina, recording 3 clean sheets and showing unprecedented mental resilience during high-pressure knockout moments. These are the moments that made him the winner of the Golden Glove Award in 2022.

Can a Goalkeeper win the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove without winning the tournament? 

Yes, interestingly, a goalkeeper can win the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove without winning the tournament. Throughout the awards’ 8-edition history, 4 of 8 winners were from teams that did not win the World Cup trophy.

Back in 1994, Belgium’s Michel Preud’homme claimed the inaugural Lev Yashin Award despite his side being eliminated in the Round of 16, making him the only winner whose team failed to reach the semifinals. In 2002, Oliver Kahn won the Lev Yashin Award (now known as the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove) after helping Germany finish as runners-up to Brazil. He also became the only goalkeeper to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in the same tournament. Thibaut Courtois joined the list in 2018 after helping Belgium secure a third-place finish.

This is because the Golden Glove is judged on individual excellence rather than team success. While goalkeepers who reach the latter stages naturally have more opportunities to impress, exceptional shot-stopping, consistency, leadership and decisive performances can earn the award even if their team falls short of winning the World Cup.

Every World Cup creates a new goalkeeping hero. The question now is: who will rise to the occasion and claim the Golden Glove at the next edition?