Unai Simon won the “Yashin“ award for best male goalkeeper for 2026 during the “Ballon d'Or“ ceremony in London. The award for the Spanish international and Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper was presented by legend Peter Schmeichel.
Simon was honored after a strong season with his club team and the Spanish national team. He won the “Golden Glove“ for best goalkeeper at the 2026 World Cup, where Spain became world champions. In eight matches, he conceded only one goal and kept seven clean sheets.
“I am proud to be nominated”, Simon told Cadena SER before the ceremony. The Spaniard was among the ten candidates for the award, along with Thibaut Courtois, David Raya, Emiliano Martinez, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Yassine Bounou, Edouard Mendy, Matvey Safonov and Voynich.
Before the men's winner was announced, the women's "Yashin" award was presented. Its winner was Barcelona's Kata Kohl. The Spanish goalkeeper helped the Catalan team win their fourth Champions League after a 4-0 victory over Olympique Lyonnais in the final in Oslo.