All 2026/27 EFL Championship club's main goalkeeper ranked from worst to best | OneFootball

FLW has attempted to rank every Championship club's main goalkeeper from worst to best

The EFL Championship is stacked with some excellent goalkeepers across the board, from former Premier League regulars to up-and-coming prospects to number ones for their respective nations, as Football League World takes a closer look at those between the sticks in the English second tier.

Attack wins you games, and defences win titles, as the adage popularised by the great Sir Alex Ferguson goes, and having a reliable shot-stopper between the sticks can certainly help one's chances of lifting some silverware.

The EFL Championship has helped to develop some incredible goalkeepers over the years, such as Jordan Pickford, David Raya, Emiliano Martínez, and James Trafford, to name a handful, as some of the next generation of great shot-stoppers could be playing in the division right now.

To be the number one choice at Championship level is no mean feat and should not be downplayed by any stretch of the imagination, though some are naturally bound to have better careers than others, as Football League World has attempted to rank every Championship club's current number one goalkeeper from worst to best.

24 ? ? Gavin Bazunu

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Someone had to come bottom, and to unfortunately pile the misery on former Irish international Gavin Bazunu, the 24-year-old kicks off our list.

The former Manchester City youth prospect has had a tricky past four or so years ever since joining Southampton in the summer of 2022 for around £12 million, and having been replaced by Daniel Peretz at St Mary's midway through the 2025/26 campaign, he headed out to Stoke City on loan.

Having let in 8.55 more goals than expected last season, as per FotMob, Bazunu certainly had a year to forget, and upon being allowed to join Bolton Wanderers this summer, made an error on debut, leading to a 3-2 home defeat to West Ham United.

He seems to have replaced Jack Bonham as Steven Schumacher's number one in Greater Manchester for now, as truth be told, had we chosen Bonham as the Trotters' main number one, the placement would likely have remained the same.

23 ? ? Max Weiss

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German goalkeeper Max Weiss joined Burnley in the summer of 2025 from German outfit Karlsruher for around £4.3 million, and predominantly acted as backup to Martin Dubravka at Turf Moor in his debut year at the club.

With Dubravka leaving, Weiss has taken the number one role for the Clarets, and having undergone a tricky start to the year, Weiss' lack of sample size and poor performances in the Championship thus far mean he ranks this low, though it would be no surprise to see him flourish in due course.

22 ? ? Nicolas Schmid

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Austrian goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid has been Portsmouth's number one choice since the club's promotion back to the Championship in 2024 following his move from BW Linz.

He appears to have lost his place at Fratton Park to incoming Polish shot-stopper Daniel Beilica towards the start of the season, and with Mousinho clearly not sold on the 29-year-old, neither are we.

21 ? ? Nathan Trott

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A product of the West Ham United academy, Nathan Trott spent time in France and Denmark before joining Cardiff City on loan from FC Copenhagen last season.

The 27-year-old Bermudian was Brian Barry-Murphy's main choice between the sticks in the Welsh capital on their way back to the Championship last campaign, though whether he has what it takes to be a regular in the Championship from here on out remains to be seen.

20 ? ? George Wickens

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24-year-old George Wickens came through the youth system of Fulham, failing to make a single competitive appearance in West London before joining Lincoln City on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.

He has been the number one at the LNER Stadium ever since and played a pivotal role in the Imps' historic promotion to the Championship last year, though, like Trott, whether he has what it takes to remain a number one at this level or push himself even higher remains to be seen.

19 ? ? Max Crocombe

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The level of goalkeeping in the Championship is almost certainly as high as ever, as Max Crocombe, despite being New Zealand's first choice at the recent World Cup, can only rank this high.

The 33-year-old has been a safe pair of hands at Millwall in the absence of Lukas Jensen, though at 33 and only now playing at this level, having previously endured spells with the likes of Salford City, Grimsby Town, and Burton Albion, the Kiwi has surely hit his ceiling.

18 ? ? Arthur Okonkwo

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Arthur Okonkwo has been capped twice for Nigeria at the age of 25, and having come through the Arsenal academy, he has had an excellent career to date.

Loan spells with Crewe Alexandra and Sturm Graz led him to Wrexham, where he spent three years, helping the Welsh outfit go from League Two to the Championship.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, however, allowed him to head out on loan to division rivals Charlton Athletic in the summer, as Okonkwo will be looking to make sure the former Bradford City boss rues that decision.

17 ? ? Balazs Toth

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Three internationals in a row, and you begin to understand the sheer level of competition at play in the Championship, as Blackburn Rovers' Balazs Toth is up next.

The seven-capped Hungarian international enjoyed a solid year at Ewood Park last season, and was heavily linked with a move to Celtic over the summer, which never materialised.

Upon his return to fitness, he will likely have a busy time under Tony Mowbray in Lancashire this campaign, as Rovers supporters will be hoping he proves why he should be ranking much higher on this list in due time.

16 ? ? James Beadle

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Brighton and Hove Albion boasted the likes of Bart Verbruggen, Carl Rushworth, Jason Steele, and James Beadle in their ranks this summer, as one or two of those were bound to depart.

Beadle, 22, has already amassed over 100 Championship appearances across spells with Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City, the latter he would join on loan again this season after a solid year last time around.

The Seagulls have high hopes for the England youth international, as he looks to prove why he should be given a chance to prove himself in the Premier League in 2027.

15 ? ? Max O’Leary

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29-year-old Max O'Leary has spent the bulk of his career contracted to Bristol City, but with Radek Vitek excelling at Ashton Gate last year, he was allowed to leave in January 2026, joining West Bromwich Albion on a short-term deal.

The Irishman impressed for the Baggies, who narrowly stayed up courtesy of his performances in goal, and he was offered a three-year deal to remain with the club in the summer, and has continued to impress since.

If he can continue his form throughout the entirety of the season, O'Leary will have a strong claim for ranking even higher.