BIO

Unai Simón was born on 11 June 1997 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. A Spanish international, he plays as a goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao. At the club level, he won the 2020/21 Supercopa de España and the 2023/24 Copa del Rey. Representing Spain with 66 senior caps, he played at the 2022 and 2026 World Cup. He won FIFA World Cup 2026 alongside UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League.

His 2025-2026 season:

Achievements

62 matches, 76 goals conceded, 22 clean sheets, 1 yellow card, 0 red card, 1 World Cup

Performance and Ballon d'Or Criteria

  • Press-Resistant Build-Up: Acts as an extra outfield player in possession, inviting pressure to create central space before distributing vertically with high technical composure.

  • Proactive Sweeping Trait: Maintains an aggressive starting position near the edge of the box, reading ball trajectory early to snuff out opponent counter-attacks before they materialize.

  • Mental Fortitude: Displays exceptional psychological resilience and vocal authority, maintaining proactive risk-taking regardless of high-pressure match scenarios.

Efficiency Statistics

  • La Liga Clean Sheets: Led all goalkeepers in La Liga during the 2023/24 season by keeping 17 clean sheets in 3,184 minutes.

  • Shot-Stopping Efficiency: Recorded a league-best 75% save percentage in La Liga 2023/24, stopping 94 of 126 shots faced.