Lev Yashin Biography: Childhood, Career and Net Worth

• Born Lev Ivanovich Yashin, he was a Soviet former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper
• Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or award
• He stopped 151 penalties during his playing days and is considered by some to be the greatest goalie of all time

Lev Yashin biography brings you the full story of one of the most celebrated legends in the world of football. Born Lev Ivanovich Yashin, he was a Soviet former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Yashin is considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper of all time considering his positioning on goal, athleticism and acrobatic reflexes saves.

After an impressive performance at the 1958 World Cup, he was nicknamed “the Black Panther” or “the Black Spider”, which made him more popular among football fans. Fast forward to 1963, he won the Ballon d’or and remains the only goalkeeper in history to win the award.

Read on our Lev Yashin biography to find more information about the legend who made many fall in love with the beautiful game.

Lev Yashin. Photo/ The New European.

Lev Yashin Biography

Earnings History

Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine Lev Yashin’s earnings since he played at a time when professional contracts of footballers were not made public. However, we believe he was among the top earners of his days considering he was among the greatest players in the world.

Personal Life

Let’s take a look at the former footballer’s personal life on this part of Lev Yashin biography. To start with, Yashin was born on October 22, 1929, in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He was born in a Russian family of industrial workers and worked in a factory at the age of 12 during World War II.

Moving on to his marital affairs, Yashin was married to Valentina Timofeyevna until his death. The couple had two daughters; Irina and Elena. Yashin has one surviving grandson and granddaughter. His grandson, Vasili Frolov, played as a goalkeeper with Dynamo’s youth team before retiring at the age of 23. He currently runs a goalkeeping training school in Moscow.

Career 

The heart of Lev Yashin biography is his career as a footballer. Yashin’s potential in football was noticed when he was playing for a military factory team in Moscow. He was at the time 18 years and was offered a chance to play for Dynamo Moscow youth team.

Yashin made his debut in 1950 playing in a friendly match. However, his performance in the debut was not impressive as he conceded a soft goal and as a result didn’t get more playing time. In fact, he played just two matches and did not appear in a senior match until three years later.

Yashin had a short ice hockey career in 1953 and even won a USSR ice hockey cup that same year. However, he decided to pursue a professional football career and went on to play for Dynamo Moscow for the rest of his career. He won three league titles with the Russian side and also clinched the Soviet Cup three times.

The legendary goalkeeper also achieved success playing for Soviet Union, winning the UEFA European Football Championship and gold at Olympic Games.

Lev Yashin. Photo/ Goal.com.

Luxurious Collection 

Just like it’s difficult to determine Lev Yashin’s earnings, it’s also impossible to estimate his net worth. Yashin played football at a time when the concept of celebrity net worth and endorsements were not prominent as they are today. And as a result, there are no sources on the internet with information on his net worth, endorsements and cars owned.

ALSO READ: George Best biography: Childhood, Career and Net Worth

ALSO READ: N’Golo Kante Biography: Childhood, Career and Net Worth

FAQs

Who is Lev Yashin?

Lev Yashin was a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Where was Lev Yashin born?

He was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.

Which goalkeeper won the Ballon d’Or?

Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper in history to win the Ballon d’Or.

How many penalties did Lev Yashin save?

He stopped 151 penalties during his career.