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Unai Simón has established himself amongst the very best in world football after being nominated for the award recognising the best goalkeeper of the year.
His brilliant performance for the Spanish national team during the 2026 World Cup was the decisive factor in his nomination.
It was a tournament in which he not only led the team’s defensive solidity but also set a historic record that will be etched forever in the history of international football.
The immortal record: 560 minutes without conceding a goal
During the tournament in North America, the Athletic Club goalkeeper smashed a record that had seemed unbeatable.
Unai Simón went a total of 560 consecutive minutes without conceding a single goal at the World Cup, surpassing the record of 517 minutes held by Italy’s Walter Zenga since the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
It took 36 years for a goalkeeper to break such a statistical barrier. A true milestone.
Following this 2026 tournament, Unai Simón is now officially the goalkeeper with the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history.
An unforgettable tournament
The Spanish national team, thanks to an excellent defensive display, kept a clean sheet right up until the round of 16.
A solitary goal from Charles De Ketelaere prevented Unai Simón from extending the record, as it was the only goal he conceded throughout the entire World Cup.
Spain clinched the title thanks to their brilliant team play and, in equal measure, the solidity of their back line, led by Simón.
A breakdown of the clean sheet record:
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Japan (2022): 39 minutes
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Morocco (2022): 120 minutes
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Cape Verde (2026): 90 minutes
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Saudi Arabia (2026): 90 minutes
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Uruguay (2026): 90 minutes
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Austria (2026): 90 minutes
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Belgium (2026): 41 minutes
Ahead of Iker Casillas
On his way to the top of the international game, Unai Simón also smashed the national clean-sheet record previously held by Iker Casillas.
The legendary Spanish captain had set a record of 476 minutes without conceding a goal between the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Surpassing an icon like Iker Casillas places Unai Simón amongst the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Spanish football.
In fact, by breaking the 517-minute barrier, the goalkeeper rewrote the World Cup’s all-time record books and took the top spot of all time:
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Unai Simón (Spain): 560 minutes
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Walter Zenga (Italy): 517 minutes
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Peter Shilton (England): 500 minutes
The wall of modern football
His inclusion amongst the world’s best goalkeepers comes following his outstanding performances between the posts for ‘La Roja’ at the World Cup.
However, this performance was no surprise, as the goalkeeper’s reign in the Spanish goal began years ago, with triumphs in the 2023 Nations League and Euro 2024.
Now, with his composure in moments of peak tension, leadership in the box and an impeccable performance between the posts, Unai Simón has also etched his name into the eternal pantheon of the World Cup.
A legendary performance.
