Football Manager 2024 has an extremely large database of players, all with their play styles, attributes, and personalities. This can make finding the best players difficult, with many different factors contributing to what makes a player good.

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Football Manager has a scouting system where players are given a star rating in correlation to the team's quality, meaning the star rating itself doesn't always truly show how good a player really is.

8 Diogo Costa

FC Porto

A player who will be very familiar to Football Manager fans, Diogo Costa is once again a great option in Football Manager 2024. Costa is more of a purchase for the future, as he is only 23 years old, but he should be around 3 stars for any big or contending team.

His price has unsurprisingly increased since FM23, with his name getting bigger in world football due to his great performances, meaning players will find it hard to lure Porto to sell. Costa has a release clause of $80 million, which is actually cheaper than his market value, so players might want to look to activate that before any other team does.

7 Jan Oblak

Atlético Madrid

A goalkeeper seen as underrated for years now, Jan Oblak at only 30 years old, which is the prime age for goalkeepers, is one of the best choices for players who can afford him. And that is a big if, as Oblak's market value is around $120 million, which very few clubs will be able to afford.

Regardless, Oblak is definitely one of the best goalkeepers in the game, with an extremely balanced crop of attributes. He has 19 for Reflexes and 18 for Handling, which is brilliant as they are probably the two most important stats for a goalkeeper. He has 16 Kicking, which is usually lower for goalkeepers who have high Reflexes and Handling, making Oblak someone who would fit in every team in world football.

6 Mike Maignan

AC Milan

The current goalkeeper of the French national team, Mike Maignan made his move to AC Milan in 2021, propelling his career forward as one of the best young goalkeepers in world football. Now 28 years old in Football Manager 2024, Maignan is close to his prime, with his star rating for most big clubs being around 4 stars.

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Maignan has a plethora of skill areas with a rating of 16 out of 20, which is a sign of a good player. On top of this, he has 17 in Composure, 18 in Determination, and 17 in Reflexes, which is very impressive, especially for a goalkeeper with room to develop. Buying Maignan from AC Milan will be a challenge, as he is likely worth around $100 million. However, if players can get him for their squad, they will be secure in that area for years to come.

5 Gianluigi Donnarumma

PSG

The teenage prodigy who made his big-money move to PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the most hyped young goalkeepers and is only 24 years old. Goalkeepers tend to be late bloomers when it comes to hitting their prime, so 24 is very young for a goalkeeper to be at the level that Donnarumma is at already.

Donnarumma's standout stats are his Reflexes and his Jumping Reach, both being 18, which is very impressive, especially at such a young age. Players can expect to see all of Donnarumma's attributes rocket over the years, with a big chance of one of the stats hitting 20 - a perfect rating.

4 Marc-André ter Stegen

FC Barcelona

The German number 1 has again proved to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, earning a very high rating on FM24. His Handling is only 14, which is quite low for a Barcelona goalkeeper and a highly regarded goalkeeper at that. However, he certainly makes up for it in other areas, such as his 18 Reflexes, 19 Kicking, 18 Rushing Out, 18 Determination, and 18 Composure.

He is 31, which is the standard age for goalkeepers, although it is important to note that he is one of the older players mentioned here. As with many Barcelona players, ter Stegen has a ridiculous release clause of $500 million, so players will have to try to negotiate a fee if they feel they have any chance of buying ter Stegen.

3 Ederson

Manchester City

A player who can be a creator from his own net with his ferocious kicks, Ederson is a very interesting goalkeeper. Often in the shadow of his Brazil compatriot Alisson Becker, Ederson is often underrated. At 29 years old, Ederson has a good few years of playing in his prime, with some sensational stats that will only grow.

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Ederson has 20 Kicking, 20 Composure, and 18 Bravery, which are all extremely high stats. His 20 Kicking is unique to him, as players will find it hard to find a goalkeeper with kicking stats anywhere near that level. His handling is 16, which isn't amazing for a goalkeeper of his standard, but he is still more than usable for any team in the world.

2 Alisson Becker

Liverpool

Liverpool's number 1, who has been arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League over the last few years, Alisson Becker is extremely consistent and well-rounded. Alisson doesn't have any stats at 20, and only one stat that hits the 19 mark, so on paper it may seem that Alisson isn't one of the best.

However, Alisson has many stats above 15 and 16, with no real weak areas. He is very much a "can do it all" goalkeeper, with his standouts being 19 Determination, 18 Positioning, 18 One on Ones, and 17 Reflexes. He is 30 years old, which leaves him at least 4 or 5 years to play in his prime. Getting Alisson to leave Liverpool will be a big challenge, but if players can somehow get their hands on him, they will be more than secure for years ahead in the goalkeeping department.

1 Thibaut Courtois

Real Madrid

Real Madrid's star goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has solidified himself as one of the best goalkeepers of the last few decades, consistently performing to an extremely high level in crucial games. At 31 years old, Courtois is in his prime as a goalkeeper, although players may look for someone who is a bit younger and can improve more.

Despite this, Courtois is the finished article, with impressive attributes such as 20 Aerial Reach, 18 One on Ones, 18 Jumping Reach, and 19 Reflexes being the standouts. Football Manager 2024 is the game where Courtois has the highest stats of his whole career, so if there was ever a game to get him, it's this year.

Football Manager 2024

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Genre(s)

Management , Simulation , Sports

Released

November 6, 2024

Developer(s)

Sega