Simón's award recognises Athletic Bilbao's storied goalkeeping legacy

Unai Simón's Yashin Trophy award recognises Athletic Bilbao's storied tradition of world-class goalkeepers spanning over a century.

Unai Simón's designation as the 2026 Yashin Trophy winner — recognising him as the world's best goalkeeper — is a point of pride for Athletic Bilbao's goalkeeping legacy. The Basque club has long been a breeding ground for elite shot-stoppers, with Simón (274 Athletic appearances, 69 for Spain) the latest in a lineage stretching back generations.

Simón follows legendary figures including José Ángel Iribar (614 appearances), Carmelo Cedrún (402) and Raimundo Pérez Lezama (263). All three were Spanish internationals, as was Blasco, who won 15 titles with Athletic and claimed the Zamora Award three times before the Spanish Civil War forced him into exile. Zubizarreta, who debuted at San Mamés before age 20, helped Athletic win two league titles and a Copa del Rey in five seasons before moving to Barcelona and Valencia, earning 126 Spain caps across four World Cups.

The club's goalkeeper academy at Lezama has produced talent for decades. Kepa Arrizabalaga, who spent just two seasons and 54 matches at Athletic, went on to join Spain's national team and became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when Chelsea paid €80 million for him in 2018.