Simón proud of Yashin nomination and hopes to top 2026 list

Simón has expressed pride at his 2026 Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy nomination and says he hopes to top the list this year.

He is in contention for a second time, having finished runner-up two years ago despite winning the Copa with Athletic, the Euros with Spain and La Liga’s Zamora Trophy. According to as.com, he was pipped then by Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, a world champion with Argentina.

Simón admitted he once thought he might never return to the Yashin shortlist, so being back among the candidates leaves him very happy and proud.

Now a world champion with Spain, he collected the Golden Glove at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. He conceded only one goal, against Belgium in the quarter-finals, a record he believes strengthens his case.

He also sees the nomination as recognition of the work done at Athletic and in Lezama. For him, the main satisfaction is sharing the list with outstanding goalkeepers.

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”