Unai Simón: : “We want to put our star on the crest”

At 28 years old, the Athletic Club goalkeeper from Álava is in excellent form, both with his club and between the posts for the Spanish national team.

From Murgia, he equaled the number of caps of José Ángel Iribar, his football idol, during the semi-final of the last Nations League. In the final, captaining the team, he earned his 50th cap for Spain, surpassing the record of 49 set by the ‘Txopo’: “Reaching the numbers Ángel achieved with the national team is an inspiration. I hope to play many more matches defending this shirt,” he acknowledged.

Unai Simón has become the fourth-most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Spanish national team, only behind Luis Arconada (68), Andoni Zubizarreta (126), and Iker Casillas (167). The Basque player has already participated in three UEFA Nations League finals, two European Championships, and one World Cup.

The upcoming World Cup next summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada is now Simón’s next major goal, as well as that of the rest of the internationals: “We want to put our star on the crest and continue making history.”

An ambitious objective, but one well known to a national team that already touched European glory on 14 July 2024 in Berlin and now aims to repeat success on 19 July 2026 in New Jersey.