At the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday evening, Unai Simon won the best goalkeeper award. GOAL then compared his season with Athletic Bilbao and Spain to David Raya's campaign with Arsenal.
The award and the nominees
GOAL said Simon surpassed Raya and eight other nominees: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martinez, Edouard Mendy, Matvey Safonov and Vozinha.
Raya's numbers with Arsenal
GOAL said Raya played 37 league matches for Arsenal, keeping 19 clean sheets and conceding 26 goals. GOAL said he also played 14 matches in Europe, keeping nine clean sheets and conceding five goals. GOAL said Arsenal lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. GOAL said Raya finished the season with 51 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, with 28 clean sheets and 31 goals conceded.
Simon's club and international record
GOAL said Simon played 37 La Liga matches last season for Athletic Bilbao, keeping six clean sheets and conceding 54 goals. GOAL said he featured in eight Champions League matches, with two clean sheets and 14 goals conceded. GOAL said Barcelona scored five goals against Simon in a Spanish Super Cup match. GOAL said Simon made 46 appearances across all competitions and conceded 73 goals.
World Cup campaign
Simon played in all eight matches Spain contested at the 2026 World Cup, and Spain won the tournament. GOAL says Simon kept seven clean sheets and conceded one goal at the 2026 World Cup. Simon also collected the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper at the World Cup. GOAL said Simon set the longest streak in World Cup history without conceding, at 650 consecutive minutes, a run that stretched from his last two matches in the 2022 edition to the first six and a half matches at the 2026 World Cup.