When Peter Schmeichel handed Unai Simon the Yashin Trophy at last month's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, the room applauded warmly. What followed was not a typical acceptance speech — it was a window into the character of a man who, even on his biggest night, chose to shine the light on everyone else.

Simon thanked his parents, his brother, and his girlfriend, whom he described as an "oasis of tranquillity." He spoke of la cuadrilla — the tight-knit group of lifelong friends that is a cornerstone of Basque culture — who keep him grounded. He even takes them on holiday every summer. They share a WhatsApp group, and they remind him that "many of us in this room are privileged."

Then he spoke of a man who was not in the room: Koldo Asua, his youth mentor at Athletic Club's academy, who died in 2021. Asua spent 13 years in Bilbao guiding young players, helping them maintain family ties and their studies alongside football. Simon told the audience that Asua changed how he understood the game, and that what truly matters is "the legacy one leaves when this is over" — being remembered as a good person and a good team-mate.

A tribute written in black

Simon also acknowledged José Ángel Iribar, 83 years old and still a club ambassador. Iribar, who holds Athletic Club's all-time appearances record with 614 matches, famously wore black as a homage to Soviet legend Lev Yashin — the so-called Black Spider. Simon carries that tradition forward, wearing the same colour as a tribute to Iribar.

It is a lineage that tells you everything about the values Simon holds. His parents raised him with respect for authority, a strong work ethic, and closeness to the people who love you — values that Athletic reinforced throughout his career.

Numbers that silence the doubters

The case for Simon as the world's best goalkeeper is not just philosophical. At the FIFA World Cup, Spain conceded the fewest goals of any side in the tournament, and Simon took home the Golden Glove. He let in just one goal across the entire competition and kept seven clean sheets. His longest goalless run stretched to around 650 minutes — surpassing Walter Zenga's 517-minute record set at the 1990 World Cup with Italy.

In the Ballon d'Or voting, Simon collected 351 points, finishing 128 ahead of Arsenal's David Raya in second place, with Thibaut Courtois third. Two years earlier, Simon had come second to Emi Martinez with 213 points; just last year, he was not among the 10 nominees.

Beyond the World Cup, there is a broader body of work: success in the UEFA Nations League, the European Championship, and the Zamora Trophy in the 2023-24 season — awarded to Spain's keeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio — the first time an Athletic goalkeeper had claimed it since Iribar in 1970.

A goalkeeper by accident, a champion by design

Simon was born in Vitoria in 1997 and grew up in the village of Murgia, joining Athletic Club's academy in 2011 at the age of 14. His route to first-choice keeper was anything but straightforward. When Athletic sold Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea in 2018, Simon was on loan at Elche. He returned after just 20 days when number two Iago Herrerin was injured and Alejandro Remiro refused to renew his contract. Many considered him a stop-gap. He made the shirt his own.

A year later, he won the Under-21 European Championship with Spain, coached by the same man who would later trust him at senior level — Luis de la Fuente. Even De la Fuente admitted during a recent Nations League campaign that Simon had been badly treated by critics for a long time. The coach kept picking him regardless.

His development with the ball at his feet — a central part of how Spain play — came through patience, analysis, and what Simon describes as "a bit of courage." Luis Enrique recognised that quality early and gave Simon the time to grow into it.

Loyalty over glory

In 2024, Simon signed a contract extension with Athletic Club until 2029, with no release clause. He made clear he wanted to become the world's best goalkeeper while remaining at Athletic — a club whose Basque-only signing policy means UEFA Champions League football is not guaranteed every season. "I owe the life I have to Athletic," he said.

He has no social media presence. He deleted his accounts after realising he was letting online comments govern his mood. He admits to being shy around strangers but is known at home as warm and open. He still drives the same car he has had for eight years. On a recent visit to Murgia — where there was no running water when he was a child, and he would help his grandparents collect water from a tanker — he arrived quietly, gathered the village children, and took them out for a kickabout.

That is Unai Simon: the first Spanish goalkeeper to win the Yashin Trophy, and a man who, on the night the football world celebrated him, spent his speech celebrating everybody else.