As we continue our series of polls counting down to the World Cup in South Africa, we asked you to name the finest custodian ever to grace the tournament.

Despite being one of the two men on our six-man shortlist who never won the World Cup, Yashin edged out England hero Gordon Banks and Italy legend Dino Zoff.

The Soviet shot-stopper may not have lifted the trophy, but he earned plenty of personal accolades. He was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, and is the only goalkeeper to ever win the European Player of the Year award.

Yashin, who died in 1990 aged 60, was a supreme athlete and the first goalkeeper to come off his line to truly command his area.

The 'Black Panther' reached the semi-finals in 1966, the last of his three World Cups, but his influence on the position has been felt ever since.

Poll result: Who is the best goalkeeper in World Cup history"

Lev Yashin (USSR) 31%

Gordon Banks (England) 28%

Dino Zoff (Italy) 22%

Sepp Maier (West Germany) 10%

Andoni Zubizarreta (Spain) 6%

Ubaldo Fillol (Argentina) 2%

12,768 votes (at 6.30am on Friday)

What is the Dream Team"

Each week leading up to the World Cup, we are giving Eurosport-Yahoo! users the chance to vote for the greatest players ever to grace the World Cup, plus the best manager and the finest stadium.

Next week: Right-backs

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