Spain and Real Madrid goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, has been voted the best goalkeeper in the world for 2009. Casillas successfully retained the award he had also won in 2008, and was way ahead of his competitors for the second time in a row.

The voting was carried out jury members spread across 84 countries worldwide. Casillas beat Italian and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who stood second in the voting, and Inter Milan’s Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar who came in third. Manchester United’s Dutch keeper Edwin Van Der Sar stood fourth.

Casillas, aged 28, has had an impeccable record over the past two years and been successful in maintaining a high percentage of clean sheets in the match he has played. He has been influential in taking Spain to the top of the World Football Rankings and Spain are amongst one of the favorites to lift this year’s World Cup in South Africa.