Unai Simón facts for kids
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Simón with Spain in 2025
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Unai Simón Mendibil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 June 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Athletic Bilbao | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Aurrerá Vitoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Athletic Bilbao | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Basconia | 36 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Athletic Bilbao B | 58 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Athletic Bilbao | 237 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Spain U16 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Spain U19 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Spain U21 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Spain Olympic | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Spain | 64 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:16, 17 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:00, 10 July 2026 (UTC) |
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Unai Simón Mendibil, born on June 11, 1997, is a talented Spanish footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the famous Athletic Bilbao club and is also a key player for the Spanish national team.
Unai has spent his whole club career with Athletic Bilbao. He grew up playing in their youth teams and then moved through their reserve squads. He made his first big team appearance in 2018. By 2025, he had played over 200 matches for the club.
He first played for the senior Spanish national team in 2020. Since then, he has represented Spain in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2024, and the 2026 World Cup. At Euro 2024, he played almost every game, helping Spain win the championship!
Contents
Unai Simón's Early Life and Football Journey
Unai Simón was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, on June 11, 1997. He grew up in a small village nearby called Murgia. His parents both worked in law enforcement.
When he was 14, in 2011, Unai joined the youth academy of Athletic Bilbao. He moved from his local club, Aurrerá Vitoria, to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. While training with Athletic Bilbao, he lived with a host family in the Bilbao area.
Unai Simón's Club Career Highlights
Starting His Professional Journey
Unai Simón began his senior career with Basconia in the 2014–15 season. Basconia is a team connected to Athletic Bilbao, helping young players gain experience. He played 36 matches there.
In 2016, he moved up to Bilbao Athletic, the club's reserve team. He quickly became their main goalkeeper, playing 29 games in his first season. He continued to impress, making 29 more appearances the next year.
Making His Mark at Athletic Bilbao
In 2018, Unai was called up to the main Athletic Bilbao squad. He made his exciting debut in La Liga, Spain's top football league, on August 20, 2018. It was a home game where Athletic Bilbao won 2–1 against Leganés.
Just a few games later, he showed his amazing skills against Real Madrid. He made several important saves in a 1–1 draw and was even named the best player of the match!
Becoming the Number One Goalkeeper
For the 2019–20 season, Unai Simón was given the prestigious No. 1 jersey. He started the season as the first-choice goalkeeper and kept a clean sheet (meaning no goals were scored against him) in a win against Barcelona. He had a fantastic season, playing 33 league matches and letting in only 29 goals. This performance earned him third place in the Ricardo Zamora Trophy rankings, which is for the goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded.
In August 2020, Unai signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao, showing his commitment to the club. He continued to be a hero, saving a penalty in a game against Getafe in January 2021. He also played a crucial role in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, saving two penalties in a shootout against Real Betis.
Continued Success and Trophies
Unai kept his position as the starting goalkeeper during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. He consistently performed well, making many important saves for his team.
In November 2023, he saved a penalty from Celta Vigo's striker Iago Aspas. This save helped his team win the game. In March 2024, he saved another penalty, this time from Luis Rioja of Alavés. This save led to his team scoring a goal just seconds later, securing another win. He also achieved his 15th clean sheet in the league, leading the Ricardo Zamora Trophy race.
Although he was the starting goalkeeper for previous Copa del Rey finals that Athletic Bilbao lost, he was on the bench when the club finally won the trophy in April 2024. His teammate, Julen Agirrezabala, played in all the cup matches that season. After this victory, Unai extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2029.
In October 2024, Unai Simón was recognized globally, finishing second for the Yashin Trophy, an award for the best goalkeeper in the world. He had surgery on his wrist after the Euros tournament in 2024 and returned to play in January 2025. In that same month, he played his 200th match for Athletic Bilbao.
Unai Simón's International Football Career
Playing for Spain's Youth Teams
Unai Simón proudly represented Spain at different youth levels. He played for the Under-19 and Under-21 national teams.
In 2015, he was part of the squad that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Even though he was the backup goalkeeper, it was a great experience. That same year, he also helped the Basque Country Under-18 team win a Spanish regional championship.
He made his debut for the Under-21 team in September 2017. In 2019, he was part of the team that won the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, showing his talent on the international stage.
Becoming a Senior National Team Star
Unai received his first call-up to the senior Spanish national team in August 2020. He made his debut in a friendly match against the Netherlands on November 11, playing the entire game.
In May 2021, Unai was chosen for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He became the team's main goalkeeper and played in all their matches. In a thrilling game against Croatia, he showed great mental strength to recover from an early mistake. He then saved two penalties in a shootout against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, earning him the "Star of the Match" award. Spain reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy in another penalty shootout.
Unai also played for the Spanish Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As the starting goalkeeper, he helped his team reach the final, where they won a silver medal after a tough match against Brazil.
World Cups and European Championships
Unai was the starting goalkeeper for Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Spain made it out of their group but lost to Morocco in a penalty shootout in the round of 16. A year later, Spain had better luck in the 2023 UEFA Nations League final. After a goalless draw against Croatia, Unai saved two penalties in the shootout, helping Spain win the title!
In June 2024, Unai was selected for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He played in almost every match, including the exciting final where Spain beat England to become European champions for the fourth time!
In May 2026, Unai was named in Spain's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He started the tournament incredibly well, keeping four clean sheets in the first four matches. Including a game from the previous tournament, he equaled a record of five consecutive clean sheets, going 519 minutes without letting in a goal! His amazing record grew even further after Spain's 1–0 victory against Portugal in the round of 16, reaching a total of 609 minutes and six clean sheets.
Career Statistics
Club Performance Overview
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2014–15 | Tercera División | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Tercera División | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | Segunda División B | 29 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
| Total | 58 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 60 | 0 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2018–19 | La Liga | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| Total | 237 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 264 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 331 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 360 | 0 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2020 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 0 | |
Unai Simón's Honours and Awards
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey: 2023–24
- Supercopa de España: 2021
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2015
Spain U21
Spain U23
- Summer Olympic silver medal: 2020
Spain
Individual Awards
- UEFA La Liga Revelation Team of the Year: 2019–20
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2023–24
- La Liga Zamora Trophy: 2023–24
- IFFHS Men's UEFA Team: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Unai Simón para niños
