Unai Simón shortlisted for Yashin Trophy | OneFootball

Unai Simón is among 10 goalkeepers shortlisted for the Yashin Trophy, the Ballon d’Or for keepers. The award will be presented on Monday 26 October 2026 in Paris, according to El Correo.

The other nominees are Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal Saudi), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Joan García (Barcelona), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), 'Dibu' Martínez (Chelsea), Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli Saudí), David Raya (Arsenal), Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain) and Vozinha (Colo-Colo).

Three of the 10 nominees are Spanish, the same trio Luis de la Fuente took to the World Cup in the United States. In 2022 Leo Messi won mainly for Argentina’s triumph, and in 2024 the 'Dibu' Martínez finished ahead of Unai Simón after the Argentine won the Copa América and Simón won the Euros.

This time, Simón looks among the favourites. He started ahead of David Raya and Joan García and set a World Cup record of 650 minutes without conceding, surpassing Walter Zenga’s 517 from 1990.

He conceded his first goal against Belgium in the quarter-finals, after clean sheets in the round of 32 against Austria and all three group games. He had also carried over two goalless matches from Qatar. Charles De Ketelaere ended the run, and it was Simón’s only goal conceded at the World Cup.

The Yashin Trophy, created in 2019 by France Football, recognises the season’s outstanding goalkeeper and honours Lev Yashin, the only keeper to win the Ballon d’Or, in 1963.

Source: El Correo

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