Spain Sweeps Men’s, Women’s Yashin Trophies in Display of Goalkeeper Dominance

The best male goalkeeper in the world in 2026 is Unai Simón, presented with the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday night. Cata Coll landed the women’s award.

Named for Lev Yashin—the Soviet Union legend who remains the only goalkeeper in history to win a Ballon d’Or (1963) and was a 10-time nominee—the men’s title has been awarded annually since 2019.

It was a three-way fight between three Spaniards for the prize, with Simón ultimately prevailing over compatriots David Raya and Joan García.

Simón recorded seven clean sheets as Spain’s No. 1 during the World Cup, favored for the starting job over Raya and García, both of whom had exceptional club seasons with Arsenal and Barcelona respectively—and were also the Spanish backups at the tournament.

World Cup runner-up Emiliano Martínez was hoping for a hat trick of wins after previous triumphs in 2023 and 2024, but the Argentina No. 1 was left disappointed. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the 2025 recipient and only other two-time winner of the award, was not even nominated this time.

Vozinha, Cabo Verde’s World Cup hero who shot to unlikely and unwanted fame during the summer at the very tail end of his 19-year career, had also been among the nominees.

Every Men’s Yashin Trophy Winner

2026 Women’s Yashin Trophy Winner

This year was the second time that there has been a Women’s Yashin Trophy, first created in 2025 to recognize the best female goalkeeper in the world and won by England stopper Hannah Hampton following the Lionesses’ triumph at that summer’s European Championship.

Hampton was again among the nominees, but the 2026 prize went to Barcelona’s Coll off the back of a season in which the Spaniard won a Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de España and Champions League quadruple with the dominant Catalan club.

Coll, who also placed 15th in the main Ballon d’Or Féminin rankings, held off competition from Hampton to claim the honor, with Gotham FC’s Ann-Katrin Berger, Kansas City Current’s Lorena and Manchester City’s Ayaka Yamashita also among the nominees.

Every Women’s Yashin Trophy Winner