The Black Spider — the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, and the greatest goalkeeper in football history.
Lev Ivanovich Yashin was born in Moscow in 1929 and spent his entire professional career at Dynamo Moscow (1950–1971), making 540 appearances and keeping 326 clean sheets. He earned 78 USSR caps keeping 52 clean sheets and winning Olympic gold (1956) and the first European Championship (1960). He is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or — receiving it in 1963. Known as the Black Spider or the Black Panther for his all-black kit and extraordinary agility, he was credited with saving over 150 penalties in his career — a figure disputed but reflective of his exceptional consistency from the spot. He won 5 Soviet League titles and 3 Soviet Cups. He was named in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living footballers and the FIFA 1000 list of the greatest players of all time. He revolutionised goalkeeping by commanding his penalty area, organising his defence and being an early adopter of coming off his line — techniques that would not become standard for decades. He retired in 1971 and died in 1990. His statue stands outside Dynamo Moscow's stadium. He remains the only non-outfield player to win the Ballon d'Or.
Olympic Gold 1956 (USSR)
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 1956 (USSR)
- European Championship 1960 (USSR)
- Soviet League 5x (Dynamo)
- Soviet Cup 3x
- Ballon d'Or 1963