Lev Yashin

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Lore & Background

Yashin earned status for revolutionising the goalkeeping position by imposing his authority on the entire defence. A vocal presence in goal, he shouted orders at his defenders, came off his line to intercept crosses and also ran out to meet onrushing attackers, done at a time when goalkeepers spent the entire 90 minutes standing in the goal waiting to be called into action. His performances made an indelible impression on a global audience at the 1958 World Cup, the first to be broadcast internationally. He dressed head to toe in apparent black (in truth very dark blue), thus earning his nicknames "the Black Spider" or "the Black Panther", which enhanced his popularity. Yashin appeared in three World Cups from 1958 to 1966 and was an unused squad member in 1970. In 2002, he was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team. In 1994, he was chosen for the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, and in 1998 was chosen as a member of the World Team of the 20th Century. According to FIFA, Yashin saved over 150 penalty kicks in professional football — more than any other goalkeeper. He also kept over 270 clean sheets in his career, winning a gold medal at the 1956 Olympic football tournament, and the 1960 European Championships. In 1963, Yashin received the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the European player of the year, the only goalkeeper ever to receive the award. He was additionally named posthumously to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020, a greatest all-time XI, and was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS. He was also named to the IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team in 2021. He was named by France Football as the greatest goalkeeper of all time in 2020. In 2025, IFFHS crowned him as the greatest goalkeeper in football history. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Russia by the Russian Football Union as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. In 2019, France Football established the Yashin Trophy for the best performing goalkeeper, and is awarded alongside the Ballon D'Or.

In Their Own Story

The 1958 World Cup in Sweden put Yashin on the map. In a group stage match against the eventual Cup winners Brazil, the Soviet team lost 2–0. Facing a Brazil team that featured Garrincha and a 17 year old Pelé in attack, Yashin's performance prevented the score from becoming a rout. Four years later in Chile, Yashin suffered two concussions during the tournament but still led the team to a quarter-final finish. In the game against Colombia, with the Soviet Union leading 4–1, Yashin let in a few soft goals, including a goal scored by Marcos Coll directly from a corner kick — the first and only goal scored directly from a corner in FIFA World Cup history. The game finished in a 4–4 draw, and French newspaper L'Équipe predicted the end of Yashin's career. He made an outstanding save against Chile in the quarter-final, but the Soviet Union suffered a 2–1 defeat and were eliminated. In 1966, Yashin led the Soviet team to its best showing at the FIFA World Cup, a fourth-place finish in England. In 1970, he made a fourth trip to the World Cup finals in Mexico as the third-choice back-up and an assistant coach, with the Soviet team again reaching the quarter-finals.

Reader's Guide

Yashin was born in Moscow, to a Russian family of industrial workers. When he was 12, World War II forced him to work in a factory to support the Soviet war effort. However his health at the age of 18 (after he suffered a nervous breakdown) meant he was unable to work. Thus, he was sent to work in a military factory in Moscow. After being spotted playing for the factory team he was invited to join the Dynamo Moscow youth team. His debut for Dynamo Moscow came in 1950 in a friendly match. It was not the debut he would have hoped for, as he conceded a soft goal scored straight from a clearance by the opposing keeper. That year he played in only two league games, and did not appear in a senior match again until 1953. But he remained determined, and stayed at Dynamo in the reserves waiting for another opportunity. Yashin also played goalie for the Dynamo ice hockey team during those early years of trying to break into the senior squad. He managed to win a USSR ice hockey cup in 1953 and was third in the USSR ice hockey championship as goalkeeper. He spent his entire professional football career with Dynamo Moscow, from 1950 to 1970, winning the USSR football championship five times and the Soviet Cup three times. Yashin's club teammate, rival and mentor was Alexei "Tiger" Khomich, the keeper of the Soviet national team, who had become famous for his role in Dynamo Moscow’s British tour. He also internally rivalled goalkeeper Valter Sanaya, who left the club in 1953. In 1954, Yashin was called up to the Soviet national team, and would go on to gather 74 caps. With the national team he won the 1956 Summer Olympics as well as the first European championship, the 1960 European Nations' Cup. He also played in three World Cups, in 1958, 1962 and 1966. Yashin is credited with four clean sheets out of the 12 games he played in the World Cup finals. The 1958 World Cup, played in Sweden, put Yashin on the map for his performances, with the Soviet Union advancing to the quarter-finals. In a group stage match against the eventual Cup winners Brazil, the Soviet team lost 2–0. Facing a Brazil team that featured Garrincha and a 17 year old Pelé in attack, Yashin's performance prevented the score from becoming a rout. Yashin was nominated for Ballon d'Or in 1960 and 1961 and placed fifth and fourth, respectively. In 1962, despite suffering two concussions during the tournament,

Did You Know?

• Yashin is the only goalkeeper to have won the Ballon d'Or, in 1963.
• He saved over 150 penalty kicks in professional football, more than any other goalkeeper.
• He kept over 270 clean sheets in his career.
• He also played ice hockey for Dynamo Moscow, winning the USSR ice hockey cup in 1953.
• He was named the greatest goalkeeper of all time by France Football in 2020 and by IFFHS in 2025.