Lev Yashin

Player for U.S.S.R (1929–1990)

  • Fame65.0
  • Momentum1.3
  • Wikipedia151.3K
Source-basedStable
Lived 1929–1990, aged 61
FootballersFootball / Soccer Player
  • Wikipedia
    80 languages
    Cross-language footprint
  • Era
    1929–1990
    Aged 61
  • Awards
    12
    recognised works
Summary
Updated 2026-06-08

The only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d'Or. Yashin didn't wait in goal — he commanded the box, charged out at attackers, and barked orders at his defence when that was unheard of. He saved over 150 penalties and made the position a different job.

Biography

About

Lev Ivanovich Yashin was born 22 October 1929 in the Soviet Union and turned professional as a footballer at a time when goalkeepers stood and reacted. His performances at the 1958 World Cup — the first broadcast globally — announced a new prototype: vocal, aggressive, athletic, rushing off his line to intercept crosses and meet onrushing forwards. Dressed head to toe in dark blue that looked black on television, he became "the Black Spider" and "the Black Panther". In 1963 he won the Ballon d'Or, the only goalkeeper ever to do so. He appeared in three World Cups from 1958 to 1966, won gold at…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Lev Yashin

Lev Yashin
saidundated
I never wanted two things: money or to live outside Soviet Union.
As quoted in Lev Yashin, the impregnable Spider.
Lev Yashin
saidundated
The joy of seeing Yuri Gagarin flying in space is only superseded by the joy of a good penalty save.
As quoted in Lev Yashin, the impregnable Spider.
Deep cuts

Teams

Low confidence
  • Soviet Union national association football team
    1954–1970
  • FC Dinamo Moscow
    1950–1970
  • HC Dynamo Moscow
19501970
Deep cuts

Season stats

Low confidence
1954–1970780
1950–19703260
Deep cuts

Awards

Low confidence
  • Hero of Socialist Labour
  • Silver Olympic Order
  • Order of Lenin
Where to find them

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By the numbers

Score breakdown

The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.

Fame
Stable
65.0
Composite of search demand, mentions, audience & graph footprint.
Score components
Momentum1.3
Historical29.4
Now attention23.0
Source confidence60.0
Completeness60.0
Global rank
Country rank
Category rank
Receipts

Sources

  • Wikidata
    wikidata · wikidata.org
    High confidence
  • Wikipedia
    wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
    High confidence
  • Pantheon 2.0
    database · pantheon.world
    High confidence