Unai Simón wins the Yashin Trophy but misses out on Ballon d'Or top 30

Unai Simón received the Yashin Trophy as the best goalkeeper of the past season at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, but his name was left off the 30-player shortlist for the main award. The Athletic Club goalkeeper produced an outstanding World Cup with the Spanish national team, conceding a single goal in eight matches and anchoring the side that went on to win the tournament.

The situation is striking: the best goalkeeper of the year, honored with a dedicated award at the same event, was not considered among the 30 most outstanding footballers of the season. The absence of any goalkeeper from the list reignites a long-running debate about the place of shot-stoppers in individual prizes.

• Unai Simón won the Yashin Trophy as the world's best goalkeeper at the Ballon d'Or gala.
• He conceded only one goal in eight matches during Spain's World Cup-winning campaign.
• No goalkeeper appears among the 30 nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
• The list includes 13 forwards, 7 midfielders and 10 defenders.
• Only Lev Yashin, in 1963, has ever won the Ballon d'Or as a goalkeeper.

A near-perfect World Cup not enough for the 30-man shortlist

Unai Simón's World Cup form was one of the pillars of Spain's triumph. One goal conceded in eight games and consistent reliability between the posts turned the Basque goalkeeper into a standout figure of the tournament. His performances earned him the trophy named after Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or.

Even so, the organizers of the award did not include him in the group of 30 candidates for the main prize. The paradox did not go unnoticed: the goalkeeper recognized as the best in his position was absent from the list of the year's finest footballers.

No goalkeepers among the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees

The 30-player shortlist for the current edition is split between 13 forwards, 7 midfielders and 10 defenders. There is not a single goalkeeper. The absence of shot-stoppers from the Ballon d'Or race has become a constant over the past decade: since 2014, no goalkeeper has been included among the candidates for the award.

The contrast is sharper when looking back at earlier eras. Goalkeepers such as Oliver Kahn, Gigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer finished second or third in the voting in years past. In recent seasons, however, football appears to have placed keepers in a separate category, with their own prize and no access to the main stage.

Lev Yashin, the exception that proves the rule

Only one goalkeeper in Ballon d'Or history has claimed the main prize: Lev Yashin, the 'Black Spider' of Dynamo Moscow, in 1963. More than six decades have passed, and no other shot-stopper has repeated the feat. His legacy is so singular that the goalkeeper award created by France Football bears his name.

Yashin's case underlines a deep-rooted trend in the award's history: goalkeepers rarely compete on equal terms with outfield players. The split into specific categories, such as the Yashin Trophy, acknowledges their role but also keeps it away from the main spotlight.

A speech far from the vanity fair

Unai Simón delivered a sober and direct speech at the ceremony, in line with his understated personality. The Athletic Club goalkeeper thanked for the recognition and avoided any grandstanding at an event known for its bright lights and personal ambitions. His remarks were widely read as a counterpoint to the ego-driven atmosphere that surrounds the Ballon d'Or.

Frequently asked questions about Unai Simón and the Ballon d'Or