FIFA World Cup 2022: Who is winning the race for the Golden Glove?

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the tournament's eighth time awarding the adidas Golden Glove, which was known as the Lev Yashin Award until 2006 in honor of the renowned Russian goalie.

The battle to be crowned the finest shot-stopper at the world's most prestigious football event is still alive, with penalty shootouts producing exquisite performances.

After Croatia defeated Brazil on penalties, Morocco overcame Portugal, France hung on to defeat the English, and Argentina narrowly defeated the Dutch, as we were down to the final four teams.

In the tournament's last knockout round, Lionel Messi's magic proved too much for Croatia, who were unable to recreate their run from four years ago, bowing to a 3-0 loss on Tuesday (December 13). The next day France defeated Morocco 2-0 to make it back-to-back World Cup finals, and they are now on the verge of retaining their title.

Here are the top contenders for Golden Glove:

Dominik Livakovic

Danijel Subasic, Croatia's goalkeeper, was instrumental in the country's triumphant march to the 2018 World Cup final.

Dominik Livakovic more than made up for his predecessor, with outstanding performances against Japan in the round of 16 and Brazil in the quarterfinals. The 26-year-old goalie, like Subasic, made four saves in his team's penalty shootout victories.

Dominik Livaković has been everywhere  pic.twitter.com/RHR75PWHuS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 9, 2022

Livakovic also leads the saves tally with 23, which means he prevented three more goals than an ordinary goalie would have, based on post-shot predicted goals.

Hugo Lloris

Hugo Lloris, France's captain, is a goalkeeper who has mostly gone unnoticed despite leading his country to the 2018 World Cup triumph.

Lloris has gained a veneer of security in Qatar 2022, with no instances of him erring. In fact, Lloris was at his domineering best in the semifinal against Morocco, as he blocked at least two sure-shot goals in the second half before holding on to a shaky clean sheet to send his team to the final.

Emiliano Martinez

Emiliano Martinez, Argentina's goalkeeper, has been a major component in the country's recent recovery. The Aston Villa goalkeeper has put up a strong showing in Qatar, helping the Albicelestes reach the final.

Martinez's presence at the back has given Argentina a sense of serenity and steadiness. His importance was highlighted during the shootout in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands, when he stopped Virgil van Djik from the spot first up, putting Argentina in control.

Corazón , pasión , trabajo y cabeza  pic.twitter.com/iuwU1BXz4x

— Emi Martínez (@emimartinezz1) December 9, 2022

Martinez also made a key late-game intervention in the round of 16 to keep Argentina's 2-1 advantage over Australia.

Yassine Bounou

Bounou was in fantastic form throughout the tournament, with his perseverance showing most against Spain in the round of 16, when he helped his team retain a clean sheet before saving two penalty shootout efforts.

In the quarterfinal against Portugal, the Sevilla shot-stopper held away a threatening attack with several spectacular saves.

What is the Golden Glove award?

In contrast to the Golden Boot, the Golden Glove award was formally added by FIFA prior to the 1994 World Cup, making it a relatively fresh addition to the World Cup.

Between 1994 to 2006, the honor was formerly known as the Lev Yashin Award in honor of the illustrious former goalkeeper for the Soviet Union.

Belgium's Michel Preudhomme earned the first prize in 1994. Thereafter, Gianluigi Buffon (2002), Fabian Barthez (1998), and Oliver Kahn (2002) each took home the trophy (2006).

How Golden Glove is awarded?

In most domestic competitions, the Golden Glove is handed out to the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets. However, with the World Cup being such a short format, it's awarded based on contributions from the goal line as oppose to number of clean sheets kept

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