Ballon d’Or: Unai Simon wins global goalkeeper award after World Cup record

Athletic Bilbao and Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has been named the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.

Simon was competing for the award against nine other prominent goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou of Morocco and Al Hilal, Thibaut Courtois of Belgium and Real Madrid, Joan Garcia of Spain and Barcelona, Gregor Kobel of Switzerland and Dortmund, Emiliano Martinez of Argentina and Chelsea, Edouard Mendy of Senegal and Al-Ahli, David Raya of Spain and Arsenal, Matvey Safonov of Russia and Paris Saint-Germain, and Vozinha of Cape Verde and Colo-Colo.

The main factor behind Simon’s victory was his role in Spain’s 2026 World Cup triumph. He was the first-choice goalkeeper for La Roja during the tournament as they lifted the trophy.

Simon also claimed the Golden Glove after conceding only one goal in eight matches at the World Cup.

His achievements extended beyond winning the competition. The Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper established the longest run without conceding in World Cup history, keeping a clean sheet for 650 consecutive minutes.

That sequence began with his final two appearances at the 2022 World Cup and continued through Spain’s first six and a half matches at the 2026 tournament.