Unai Simón Wins 2026 Yashin Trophy After Spain’s World Cup Run

Simón takes the goalkeeper award

Unai Simón won the 2026 Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, becoming men’s goalkeeper of the year. The official Ballon d’Or account announced him as the winner, and The Guardian’s live coverage confirmed the result for the Athletic Club and Spain goalkeeper. El País also reported that Simón and Barcelona’s Cata Coll received the respective men’s and women’s goalkeeper prizes. ^{[1] [2] [5] [6] [8]}

The Yashin Trophy is the Ballon d’Or’s annual goalkeeper award, named for Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Simón’s win makes him the first Spanish goalkeeper to receive it, according to EFE. He had come close in 2024, finishing second behind Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez, EFE reported. The Ballon d’Or’s historical winners page lists the men’s goalkeeper prize among the ceremony’s award categories and records Martínez as the 2024 winner. ^{[2] [5] [9]}

EFE reported that Peter Schmeichel presented the trophy to Simón in London. In his remarks, Simón described the World Cup triumph as “one of the most beautiful summers of our lives,” a reference to the title that had helped define his season. The evening’s recognition therefore linked a club goalkeeper’s individual honour with Spain’s most significant team achievement of the campaign. ^[5]

A World Cup season behind the award

The award follows a season in which Simón helped Spain win the 2026 World Cup. He also received the tournament’s Golden Glove as its outstanding goalkeeper. Athletic Club’s account of the tournament identifies Simón as the Golden Glove winner and says he conceded fewer goals than any goalkeeper in World Cup history; FIFA’s award coverage says he kept seven clean sheets in eight matches. ^{[4] [7]}

EFE reported that Simón conceded only one goal across Spain’s eight matches. That record accompanied a title run in which the Spanish national team went on to lift the World Cup. The Golden Glove and Yashin Trophy are separate honours: the former recognizes a goalkeeper’s performance at the World Cup, while the latter is presented as part of the Ballon d’Or awards for the season. ^{[4] [7] [5]}

From runner-up to winner

Simón had previously been nominated for the Yashin Trophy in 2024 and finished second to Martínez, according to EFE and Athletic Club. The club’s preview of this year’s ceremony noted that he was among 10 nominees. The win in London now adds the individual award to an international campaign in which he was also part of Spain’s World Cup-winning side. ^{[3] [5]}

The result was announced during a ceremony that brought together the men’s and women’s goalkeeper awards. The Guardian named Simón as the men’s winner and Coll as the women’s winner, while El País reported that both Spanish goalkeepers collected their prizes on stage. Simón’s award is a recognition of his season; the reported result does not change the separate record of Spain’s World Cup achievement. ^{[5] [6]}