Official: Athletic Club star beats Barcelona & Real Madrid players to award at Ballon d’Or gala
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16-second readUnai Simón won the Goalkeeper of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, beating out competitors including David Raya and Thibaut Courtois, according to Get Spanish Football News. The award is attributed to his performance with Spain at the World Cup. Simón was the first-choice goalkeeper for Spain and conceded only one goal en route to their victory.
The full picture
Unai Simón won the Goalkeeper of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, beating out competitors including David Raya and Thibaut Courtois, according to Get Spanish Football News. The award is attributed to his performance with Spain at the World Cup. Simón was the first-choice goalkeeper for Spain and conceded only one goal en route to their victory. He also remained a regular for Athletic Club during the 2025/26 season.
Simón's success is largely due to his international performances with Spain, where he maintained his status as first-choice goalkeeper despite competition from other skilled goalkeepers like David Raya and García. His standout performance at the World Cup, where he conceded only one goal, was a significant factor in his winning the award. The 29-year-old goalkeeper was nominated for the ‘Yashin Trophy’ by France Football.
The award was announced at the Ballon d’Or gala, where Simón was named the world’s best goalkeeper for the last 12 months, beating out other top goalkeepers. The publication attributes the reporting to Conor Laird. The article was published by Get Spanish Football News on October 26, 2026.
At a glance
- Reporting status
- Reported
- Original publisher
- Get Spanish Football News ↗
- Source published
- Clubs covered
- Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao
Attributed publisher reporting. Kickjolly has not independently confirmed the claim.
Source context
Athletic Club star Unai Simón has on Monday evening beaten out stiff competition to the award for Goalkeeper of the Year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. This of course comes chiefly owing to his exploits on the international stage with Spain. Despite the presence of both Arsenal standout David Raya and Barcelona No.1 García in Luis de la Fuente’s squad, Simón maintained his status as first-choice in Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish squad at this summer’s World Cup. And en route to eventual glory for La Roja in North America, the 29-year-old, remarkably, saw just a solitary goal make its way past him.
Source excerpt · Get Spanish Football News
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