Unai Simón facts for kids
.jpg)
Simón with Spain in 2026
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Unai Simón Mendibil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 June 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
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 | 66 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:16, 17 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:05, 19 July 2026 (UTC) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unai Simón Mendibil, born on June 11, 1997, is a talented Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Athletic Bilbao club and is a key player for the Spanish national team.
Unai has spent his whole club career with Athletic Bilbao. He grew up in their youth academy, moving through their different teams. 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 played in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At Euro 2024, he helped Spain win the championship. In the 2026 World Cup, he was amazing, letting in only one goal in eight games. Spain won the World Cup, and Unai received the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper.
Contents
Unai Simón's Early Life and Football Start
Unai Simón was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a city in the Basque Country, Spain. He grew up in a nearby village called Murgia. His parents both worked in security, his father for the national police and his mother for the local police.
Unai loved football from a young age. In 2011, when he was about 14, he joined the famous Athletic Bilbao youth academy. He moved from his first club, Aurrerá Vitoria, to live with a family in the Bilbao area to pursue his dream.
Unai Simón's Journey in Club Football
Unai Simón started his senior career with Basconia, a team linked to Athletic Bilbao, in the 2014–15 season. He then moved up to Bilbao Athletic, the reserve team, in 2016. He quickly became their main goalkeeper.
Making His Mark at Athletic Bilbao
In 2018, Unai was called up to the main Athletic Bilbao squad. This happened after another goalkeeper left and the main one got injured. Just five days later, he made his professional debut in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He played a great game against Leganés, helping his team win 2–1.
Soon after, he played against Real Madrid and made many important saves. He was even named the best player of that match!
Becoming the Number One Goalkeeper
For the 2019–20 season, Unai was given the number 1 jersey, showing he was the team's first-choice goalkeeper. He started the season strong, keeping a clean sheet (meaning no goals were scored against him) in a win against Barcelona. He continued to play very well, finishing third in the Ricardo Zamora Trophy rankings, which is an award for the goalkeeper who concedes the fewest goals.
In August 2020, Unai signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao, showing his commitment to the club. He became known for his penalty saves, stopping important shots in games against teams like Getafe and Real Betis.
Recent Successes and Achievements
Unai continued to be a star player for Athletic Bilbao. In the 2023–24 season, he saved another crucial penalty against Celta Vigo, helping his team win. He also saved a penalty against Alavés, which led to his team scoring a goal shortly after.
He had a fantastic 2023–24 season, leading the Ricardo Zamora Trophy with 15 clean sheets. Although he didn't play in the final, his team, Athletic Bilbao, won the Copa del Rey trophy in April 2024. After this successful season, Unai extended his contract with the club until 2029.
In October 2024, Unai Simón was recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, ranking second for the Yashin Trophy. He made his 200th appearance for Athletic Bilbao in January 2025.
Unai Simón's International Football Journey
Playing for Spain's Youth Teams
Unai Simón represented Spain at different youth levels, including the under-19 and under-21 teams. He was part of the squad that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Even though he was a backup goalkeeper then, it was a great experience.
He also played for the Basque Country under-18 team, winning a Spanish regional championship. In 2017, he made his debut for the Spain under-21 team. He was also part of the team that won the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Becoming Spain's Senior Goalkeeper
Unai received his first call-up to the senior Spanish team in August 2020. He made his debut in a friendly match against the Netherlands in November of that year.
In May 2021, Unai was chosen for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He became the team's starting goalkeeper. During the tournament, he showed great mental strength. For example, in a match against Croatia, he made a mistake that led to a goal, but he recovered quickly. Later, in the quarter-finals against Switzerland, he saved two penalties in a shootout, helping Spain win and 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. He helped the team reach the final, where they won a silver medal after losing to Brazil.
World Cup and European Championship Success
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.
However, Spain had better luck in the 2023 UEFA Nations League final in 2023. After a draw against Croatia, Unai saved two penalties in the shootout, helping Spain win the title!
In June 2024, Unai was part of Spain's squad for the European Championships. He played in almost all the matches, including the final, where Spain beat England to become European champions for the fourth time.
Making History at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
On May 25, 2026, Unai was selected for Spain's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He had an incredible tournament, keeping four clean sheets in the first four matches. He broke a long-standing record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in the World Cup, reaching 650 minutes before Belgium scored against him in the quarterfinals.
That goal was the only one he conceded in the entire tournament! Spain went on to win the World Cup, defeating France and Argentina. Unai was awarded the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper, setting a new record with seven clean sheets in a single World Cup.
Career Statistics
Club Performance
| 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 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 66 | 0 | |
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
- 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
- FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2026
See also
In Spanish: Unai Simón para niños
