Unai Simon’s World Cup triumph leaves David Raya questioning Ballon d’Or verdict

The Ballon d’Or goalkeeper award went to Unai Simon ahead of David Raya, despite the Arsenal goalkeeper posting markedly stronger club figures during the season.

Simon won the award at Monday’s ceremony in London, finishing above Raya and eight other nominees: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martinez, Edouard Mendy, Matvei Safonov and Vozinha.

Raya, 31, was a key figure as Arsenal won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. He played 37 league matches, keeping 19 clean sheets – the highest total among goalkeepers – and conceding 26 goals, fewer than one per game.

He also helped Arsenal reach the Champions League final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. Raya played 14 matches in the competition, recorded nine clean sheets and conceded five goals, an average of 0.35 per game.

Although he did not appear in either the FA Cup or the EFL Cup, Raya finished the campaign with 51 appearances in all competitions. He kept 28 clean sheets and conceded 31 goals, giving him an overall average of 0.60 goals per match.

Simon’s club statistics with Athletic Club were less impressive by comparison. The 29-year-old played 37 La Liga matches, kept only six clean sheets and conceded 54 goals, an average of 1.4 per game.

In the Champions League, he made eight appearances, recording two clean sheets and conceding 14 goals. He also conceded five goals in one match against Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana, taking his season total to 46 appearances, 73 goals conceded and an average of 1.5 per game.

Raya’s advantage is also evident in the figures for saves. According to SofaScore, he made 60 saves in the league and stopped 70% of the shots he faced. In the Champions League, he made 36 saves with an 88% success rate.

Simon faced more shots in La Liga, making 100 saves, but stopped 65% of attempts. In Europe, he made 24 saves with a 63% success rate. However, the number and quality of chances faced, as well as the different number of matches, mean the figures cannot be judged in isolation.

Arsenal’s possession-based approach often limits the opportunities presented to Raya, while Athletic Club faced periods of greater pressure. That difference also complicates a direct comparison between the two goalkeepers.

The decisive factor may have been international football. Simon started all eight of Spain’s matches at the 2026 World Cup and helped them win the tournament for the second time, while Raya remained on the bench after a decision by manager Luis de la Fuente.

Simon kept seven clean sheets and conceded just one goal, made 10 saves and won the World Cup Golden Glove. He also set the longest scoreless run in World Cup history, going 650 minutes without conceding, from Spain’s final two matches at the 2022 tournament through the first six and a half games of 2026. Belgium ended the run in the quarter-final.

Raya’s club numbers may have been superior, but Simon’s World Cup triumph, individual award and record run appear to have carried greater weight with the voting journalists.