Unai Simón is the Spanish goalkeeper who just wrote his name into World Cup history by winning the Golden Glove and lifting the trophy with Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here’s everything publicly known about the Athletic Bilbao legend heading into the second half of 2026.
Unai Simón’s Biography
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Unai Simón Mendibil |
| Nickname | Unai Simón |
| Date of Birth | 11 June 1997 |
| Age | 29 years old |
| Birthplace | Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Basque Country, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Religion | N/A |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 86 kg |
| Preferred Foot | Right |
| Playing Position | Goalkeeper |
| Youth Clubs | Aurrerá Vitoria, Athletic Bilbao |
| Senior Clubs | Basconia, Athletic Bilbao B, Elche (loan), Athletic Bilbao |
| Current Club | Athletic Bilbao |
| Jersey Number | No. 1 |
| International Debut | 11 November 2020 vs Netherlands (friendly) |
| Year Turned Professional | 2018 (La Liga debut) |
| Net Worth | Around €12 million (range €10m–€14m) |
| Annual Salary | Approximately €8.3 million per year at Athletic Bilbao |
| Relationship Status | In a relationship |
| Girlfriend | Private |
| Children | N/A |
| Instagram Profile | N/A |
Unai Simón is one of the most private stars in world football, keeping his romantic life and family completely out of the spotlight. Despite the secrecy off the pitch, his on-field résumé now includes a World Cup title, a European Championship, and a record-breaking Golden Glove, making him arguably Spain’s most decorated modern goalkeeper.
Early Career
Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz to a Guardia Civil father and Ertzaintza officer mother, Simón grew up in the village of Murgia. He joined Athletic Bilbao’s academy in 2011 after starting out at local club Aurrerá Vitoria, moving to lodge with a host family in Bilbao.
He worked his way through Basconia and Bilbao Athletic B before earning a senior squad call-up in 2017, all while Athletic’s strict Basque-only recruitment policy meant every step was homegrown.
Professional Career
Simón made his senior La Liga debut on 20 August 2018 against Leganés and quickly impressed, even earning man of the match honors against Real Madrid in just his third appearance. After briefly losing his starting spot, he reclaimed the No. 1 jersey for the 2019–20 season and has barely looked back since, passing 260 appearances for Athletic Bilbao and extending his contract through 2029.
He became a Copa del Rey winner in 2024 and has anchored Spain’s goal through Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024 title win, and the historic 2026 World Cup triumph, where he set a tournament record of seven clean sheets and claimed the Golden Glove.
Girlfriend
Simón has confirmed in interviews since 2021 that he has a long-term girlfriend, describing his life as simple and centered on family and close friends. He has never revealed her name or shared photos publicly, and there is no confirmed information about children.
Unai Simón’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Simón’s net worth at roughly €12 million, with estimates ranging between €10 million and €14 million based on salary, endorsements, and market value. His current transfer market valuation sits between €15 million and €22 million depending on the source, reflecting his status as a top-tier international goalkeeper following his World Cup heroics.
Contract
Simón signed a contract extension with Athletic Bilbao at the end of the 2023–24 season, tying him to the club through 2029 with no buyout clause reported. This long-term deal reflects Athletic’s tradition of building around homegrown talent and locking in key players well before their previous terms expire.
Salary
According to salary-tracking sources including Capology data cited by Spanish media, Simón earns approximately €8.3 million per year at Athletic Bilbao, making him one of the club’s highest-paid players behind only Nico Williams and Aymeric Laporte.
Historical wage data shows his weekly earnings jumped from roughly €82,000 per week in the 2022–23 season to over €160,000 per week from 2023–24 onward, coinciding with his new long-term deal.
Career Earnings
| Season | Weekly Wage | Annual Salary |
| 2022–23 | €82,308 | €4.28 million |
| 2023–24 | €160,385 | €8.34 million |
| 2024–25 | €160,385 | €8.34 million |
| 2025–26 | €160,192 | €8.33 million |
Endorsements
Simón has been active in sponsorship activity around the Spanish national team, including a recent appearance alongside Marc Cucurella at a Unilever sponsorship press event tied to the national team.
Beyond national team partnerships, he keeps a low commercial profile compared to peers, consistent with his preference for privacy and avoidance of social media promotion.
Career Stats
| Club | Years | Appearances | Goals | Notes |
| Basconia | 2014–2016 | 36 | 0 | Athletic’s farm team, Tercera División |
| Athletic Bilbao B | 2016–2018 | 60 | 0 | Segunda División B |
| Athletic Bilbao | 2018–present | 264 | 0 | La Liga, Copa del Rey, Europe combined |
| Spain (National Team) | 2020–present | 66 | 0 | World Cup 2026 winner, Golden Glove |
Simón’s career club total stands at 360 appearances across all competitions with zero goals scored, typical for a top-level goalkeeper.
FAQs
1. Who is Unai Simón?
Unai Simón Mendibil, born June 11, 1997, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, is a professional footballer who plays goalkeeper for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao and the Spain national team. Standing 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, he has spent his entire senior club career with Athletic, rising through the club’s youth academy, farm team, and reserves before making his first-team debut in 2018.
2. What club does he play for?
Simón plays for Athletic Bilbao, having joined the club’s youth system in 2011 after arriving from Aurrerá Vitoria. He made his professional and La Liga debut on August 20, 2018, in a 2–1 win over Leganés, and has remained the club’s starting goalkeeper for most of his career since, signing a contract extension through 2029.
3. What position does Unai Simón play?
He plays as a goalkeeper, wearing the number 1 shirt for both Athletic Bilbao and the Spanish national team. Beyond shot-stopping, he is noted for his ball-playing ability, which allows him to comfortably play out from the back.
4. How many caps does he have for Spain?
Simón has earned 66 caps for the Spain senior national team since making his debut in November 2020 against the Netherlands. He first received a senior call-up in August 2020 for UEFA Nations League matches against Germany and Ukraine.
5. What major trophies has Unai Simón won?
Simón has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship in 2024, and the UEFA Nations League in 2022–23 with Spain, along with the Copa del Rey (2023–24) and Supercopa de España (2021) with Athletic Bilbao. At youth level, he also won the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and he took Olympic silver with Spain’s U23 team at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games.
6. Did Unai Simón win the Golden Glove at the 2026 World Cup?
Yes, Simón was awarded the Golden Glove at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after an outstanding tournament in which he conceded only one goal across eight matches. He also set a new record for the most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a single World Cup, recording seven, while helping Spain win the title by beating France and then Argentina in the final.
7. What is Unai Simón’s clean sheet record at the World Cup?
During the 2026 World Cup, Simón kept four clean sheets in the opening four matches and broke Walter Zenga’s 1990 record for consecutive clean sheets, extending his shutout streak to 650 minutes before conceding an equalizer to Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere in the quarterfinals. Spain still progressed 2–1 in that match, and Simón’s only other concession came in the final stages, finishing the tournament with seven clean sheets overall.
8. Has Unai Simón won any individual awards?
Yes, alongside his 2026 World Cup Golden Glove, Simón won La Liga’s Zamora Trophy for the 2023–24 season as the division’s best goalkeeper and was named to the La Liga Team of the Season that year. He was also recognized on the IFFHS Men’s UEFA Team in 2024 and was nominated for the Yashin Trophy, ranking second in the 2024 voting.
9. How tall is Unai Simón?
Unai Simón stands 1.90 meters (approximately 6 feet 3 inches) tall, a height that supports his effectiveness as a shot-stopper and commanding presence in goal. His physical stature is complemented by strong reflexes and acrobatic saving ability.
10. What happened to Unai Simón at Euro 2020?
At UEFA Euro 2020, Simón displaced David de Gea to become Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper and started every match of the tournament. He famously recovered from an own goal caused by a mishandled backpass in the round of 16 win over Croatia, later saving two penalties in the quarterfinal shootout victory over Switzerland, for which he was named Star of the Match.