Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has cemented his place among football’s elite shot-stoppers after climbing into the top tier of goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in FIFA World Cup history.
Following Spain’s impressive run to the 2026 World Cup final, Simón now boasts eight clean sheets in 11 appearances, placing him among a distinguished group of goalkeeping greats.
His latest milestone comes after Spain’s 2-0 semi-final victory over France, where he once again delivered a commanding performance.
According to FIFA’s updated rankings, Simón shares joint third place with legends such as Jan Jongbloed, Emerson Leão, Sepp Maier, Cláudio Taffarel, Thibaut Courtois, and Hugo Lloris—all with eight clean sheets.
At the summit of the all-time list remain Fabien Barthez and Peter Shilton, who are tied with 10 clean sheets each across 17 World Cup appearances.
Barthez notably recorded five clean sheets during France’s victorious 1998 campaign, while Shilton achieved consistent performances across three tournaments between 1982 and 1990.
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Simón’s rise has been largely driven by his outstanding 2026 campaign, where he has already recorded six clean sheets in seven matches, adding to the two he kept during the 2022 tournament.
His defensive consistency is further reflected in an impressive goals-conceded average of 0.36 per game, the best among goalkeepers in the top tier of the rankings.
Elsewhere, several notable names sit just behind the leading pack. Alisson Becker, Gilmar dos Santos Neves, Iker Casillas, Fernando Muslera, and Manuel Neuer are all tied with seven clean sheets, occupying joint 10th position.
FIFA groups players with identical statistics into shared rankings, highlighting the competitive depth among the world’s greatest goalkeepers.
With Spain set to contest the final, Simón remains on course to further climb the rankings and potentially challenge the long-standing record held by Barthez and Shilton.
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