For a Basque footballer, nothing compares to winning with Athletic Club. Not even the World Cup. The strength of the region’s identity, its values and traditions, runs deep. For those born and raised in this part of Spain, it shapes almost everything, including their relationship with football. Unai Simón is a case in point. Named the world’s best goalkeeper of 2026 by the France Football jury, he has just collected the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London. He’s an unusual character, as his acceptance speech at the London Palladium made clear. Among those he thanked was Koldo Asua, an Athletic official whose name will be unfamiliar to most.
Still, it’s not every day you hear a player say that winning the Copa del Rey can mean more than winning the World Cup. Simón spoke about it on Athletic Talks, the podcast produced by Athletic, recalling the five days he spent celebrating the 2024 cup triumph with friends, teammates and supporters. «The celebrations were nothing like those after the World Cup. The five days I spent with my friends, my people and my teammates after winning the cup were on another level. Professionally, winning the World Cup is the greatest thing a footballer can achieve. But when it comes to the passion and emotion you give to people, and what they give back to you, there’s no comparison. Those five days after winning the Copa del Rey were among the best of my life».
Two moments stand out in particular. The first was the voyage aboard the gabarra, the barge that traditionally carries Athletic’s celebrations along the Nervión river. The second came when the players took to the streets of Bilbao for an impromptu party, accompanied by a txaranga, a traditional street band. «The gabarra and the day we went out with the band were on the same level». Simón added: «With Athletic, I’m twice as proud of what I do».
He also spoke about Julen Agirrezabala, who had played throughout Athletic’s Copa del Rey campaign. Simón was keen to defend the arrangement. It wasn’t simply a decision made by Ernesto Valverde; it was an established practice at the club, with the goalkeeper who gets fewer minutes in the league generally given the chance in the cup. «Of course I want to play in the cup. I’d love to win it myself, but if I have to choose between not winning it and winning it with Julen in goal, I’ll choose the second. That’s the best thing for me. That’s how I was brought up», Simón said.
He returned to the subject when talking about what a trophy means to an Athletic player. «We know what it means to bring out the gabarra and give our supporters a title. I’ve always dreamed of getting on board. I don’t care who plays. I want to win. Julen had a fantastic cup campaign». For Simón, winning with Athletic remains something else entirely. Even after reaching the top of the world with Spain, there’s no mistaking where his loyalties lie.