Biography
Who is Unai Simón?
Early life and background
Unai Simón Mendibil was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, on June 11, 1997. His father worked as a member of the Guardia Civil and his mother served in the local police force. He grew up in the nearby village of Murgia in the Basque Country.
Unai joined the youth system of Athletic Bilbao in 2011 after moving from Aurrerá Vitoria. During his early development in the Bilbao area, he lived with a local family while training with the club's academy.
Club career with Athletic Bilbao
Unai began his senior career with the farm team Basconia in the Tercera División during the 2014 to 2015 season. He later moved to the reserves in the Segunda División B, where he quickly established himself as a regular starter with twenty nine appearances.
After signing a contract extension in 2018, he was briefly loaned to Elche before being recalled to the main Athletic Bilbao squad following an injury and a departure. He made his La Liga debut in a match against Leganés and soon secured the primary goalkeeping role.
Over the following seasons, Unai recorded numerous clean sheets and finished high in the Zamora Trophy rankings. He reached his two hundredth appearance for Athletic Bilbao in January 2025 after returning from wrist surgery.
International career and records
Unai represented Spain at various youth levels, winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship and the Under-21 tournament. He made his senior international debut for the Spain men's national team in a friendly match against the Netherlands.
He served as the first choice goalkeeper during UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At Euro 2024, he featured in almost every match as Spain won the tournament by defeating England in the final.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Unai set an all time tournament record by conceding only one goal in eight matches. He won the Golden Glove award and kept seven clean sheets as Spain claimed the championship title once again.
Birthday and age
Unai Simón was born on June 11, 1997, which makes Unai 29 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Unai shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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