Unai Simón vs. Dibu Martínez: The World Cup final’s other heavyweight showdown
The Argentine keeper took the 2024 Yashin Trophy by a narrow margin. Unai Simón is in contention to succeed him as the 2026 World Cup Golden Glove.
A lot of the spotlight heading into Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium has gone to the stars up front — the Lamine Yamal–Lionel Messi storyline practically writes itself — but the battle between the posts has its own drama, its own history, and its own unfinished business.
After a standout performance during Euro 2024, Unai Simón finished second in the Yashin Trophy voting, the award France Football gives to the world’s best goalkeeper. He earned 213 points, but Dibu Martínez beat him with 276. Martínez had already won the trophy in 2023, topping Ederson and Bono, and was riding the peak of his career. He’d been named the Golden Glove at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, becoming a national icon after stopping penalties from Van Dijk and Berghuis in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands. In the final, he denied Coman, rattled Tchouaméni, and helped deliver Argentina’s third World Cup. Even before that, he’d been decisive in the Copa América shootout against Colombia.
But this World Cup has flipped the script.
A statistical gap that tells the story
According to FIFA’s metrics, Martínez ranks 22nd among goalkeepers in shot-stopping effectiveness with a score of 5.17. Unai Simón, meanwhile, sits sixth overall at 7.74. Only Bono (7.88), Orlando Gill (7.92), Kobel (8.05), Pickford (8.10) and Diogo Costa (8.73) rank higher.
Simón also shattered Walter Zenga’s long‑standing World Cup shutout record. He went 491 minutes without conceding during the tournament and now holds the all‑time mark with 647 minutes of World Cup imbatibility. His save percentage is a staggering 91.67%, compared to Martínez’s 58.62%.
Spain’s defensive wall — and the keeper behind it
Protected by a rock‑solid back line — Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte and Cucurella — Simón has been the finishing touch on a defensive unit that has kept clean sheets in six of Spain’s seven matches. Only De Ketelaere has managed to beat him.
He’s passed every test: Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappé, Leão, Olise, Dembélé, Doué, João Félix… all denied. He’s been dominant in the air and calm with the ball at his feet, earning a 7.40 FIFA distribution rating — second only to Pickford.
Simón is now a leading candidate for the Golden Glove, which would place him among legends like Preud’homme, Barthez, Kahn, Buffon, Casillas, Neuer, Courtois and Martínez himself.
It would also be a personal triumph after a complicated club season, where debate swirled around Spain’s goalkeeper spot thanks to David Raya’s breakout year at Arsenal and Joan García’s emergence at Barcelona. But for head coach Luis de la Fuente, the conversation was noise. Simón has been his guy through Nations League, Euros, and now a World Cup run. Ever since Luis Enrique handed him the reins in November 2020, he’s been untouchable.
Now, nearly six years later, he’s one game away from touching the sky.
And 100 yards away stands Dibu Martínez
If the final goes to penalties — and at MetLife Stadium, under the pressure of a World Cup final, that’s not far‑fetched — danger looms.
Martínez has saved 10 of 33 penalties for Argentina (30.30%) and won six of seven shootouts.Simón has saved 7 of 30 (23.33%) and won three of six.
Two elite keepers. Two very different tournaments. One last showdown.
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