Yes, goalkeepers can score goals. They can do almost anything that other players on the field can do. They’re allowed to take free kicks, penalties, and even head into the opponent’s penalty area to try and score.
They can become sweeper keepers and help the defenders by becoming an additional defender like Manuel Neuer in the video below:
Goalkeepers can exchange passes with their defenders, join attacks – there’s no rule holding them back.
The only catch is that when they’re outside their penalty area, they’re just like regular players, they can’t use their hands to touch or catch the ball.
For a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles that govern goalkeeping, check out our article on basic goalie rules.
Who is the highest scoring goalkeeper in history?
Rogério Ceni, with 131 goals is the top scoring goalkeeper in the history of football. Most of these goals came from free kicks and penalties.
Top 10 goalkeepers with most goals:
| Rank | Goalkeeper | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rogério Ceni | 131 |
| 2 | José Luis Chilavert | 67 |
| 3 | Jorge Campos | 46 |
| 4 | Johnny Vegas Fernández | 45 |
| 5 | René Higuita | 43 |
| 6 | Dimitar Ivankov | 42 |
| 7 | Márcio | 40 |
| 8 | Fernando Patterson | 35 |
| 9 | Fábio Rampi | 34 |
| 10 | Hans-Jörg Butt | 33 |
Best goalkeeper goals
Any goal scored by a goalkeeper is legendary and catches the eye. In the video below, you can watch some of the best goalkeeper goals from recent times.
Why Goalkeepers don’t score anymore?
They do score goals. However, in the top leagues like La Liga and the Premier League, it’s a rare sight to see a goalkeeper score a goal.
These leagues are highly competitive, and any slip-up by the goalkeeper that leads to a conceded goal can be harshly criticized.
In recent football history, there was even a remarkable incident when goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke was nominated for FIFA’s Puskas Award, which honors the best goal of the year. Unfortunately, Giroud won the award that year (2017).