Lev Yashin

Lev Yashin, born in 1929 in Moscow, Russia, was a Russian football player known as the greatest goalkeeper of all time. He revolutionized his position and became a hero of the Soviet Union.

Soccer Player

October 22, 1929

March 20, 1990

60

Lev Yashin, also known as the “Black Spider,” was an iconic Soviet football goalkeeper who transformed the role and is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the history of the sport. Yashin spent his entire professional career playing for Dinamo Moscow, securing five league titles and three Soviet Cups. Notably, he was the sole goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or, an award typically given to outfield players. Yashin participated in four World Cups with the Soviet national team, making it to the semifinals in 1966. In 1963, he was named European Footballer of the Year, becoming the only goalkeeper to achieve this distinction. Yashin’s remarkable reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of his penalty area solidified his status as a true football legend.