The semi-finals have resolved most of this race. France are out. Unai Simón stands alone as the clear favourite, heading into a World Cup Final with six clean sheets from seven matches. But there is one more name — the man on the other side of the final — who knows better than anyone that goalkeepers can make history in a match.
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Unai Simón — Spain
Matches: 7 | Clean Sheets: 6 | Saves: 10
Six clean sheets from seven matches. That number has been the defining statistic of this Golden Glove race since Spain’s first group game, and it has only grown more impressive as the opposition has become stronger. Against France in the semi-final, Simón did not need to be spectacular — Spain’s defensive organisation and Rodri’s control made sure of that. What Simón provided was something quieter: two decisive sweeper-keeper exits in the second half that cut off French counter-attacks before they developed, both completed without foul and without drama.
That composure — the ability to manage space and command the box is exactly what this award should recognise. Simón’s save count is modest because Spain have made it modest. One goal conceded in seven matches. If that record holds through the Final, the Golden Glove conversation ends before it starts.
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Mike Maignan — France
Matches: 7 | Clean Sheets: 4 | Saves: 10
France lost to Spain 2-0 in Dallas. Maignan conceded twice, kept four clean sheets across seven matches, and made ten saves in total — more than Simón, against harder moments. His tournament was built on consistency and quiet authority, and it deserved a longer run. Historically, the Golden Glove stays with the finalists. Maignan’s case is strong on merit.
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Yassine Bounou — Morocco
Matches: 6 | Clean Sheets: 2 | Saves: 18
Eighteen saves, including nine against France in the quarter-final — a penalty stop from Mbappé among them. Bounou’s was the performance of the tournament from a goalkeeper. The award most likely will not reflect that. It rarely does when the team goes out in the quarter-finals.
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Gregor Kobel — Switzerland
Matches: 6 | Clean Sheets: 2 | Saves: 20
Twenty saves. The highest in this tracker. Switzerland’s defensive structure demanded that volume, and Kobel delivered it without error. He has been one of the primary reasons why Switzerland advanced to the quarter-finals.
Special Mention: Emiliano Martínez — Argentina
He won this award in 2022. He is in the Final again. Those two facts alone make Emiliano Martínez worth discussing even if his knockout stage contribution has been less visible than Simón’s across the same number of matches.
But the Final is ninety minutes — possibly one hundred and twenty, possibly penalties. Martínez’s value in a shootout is not theoretical. In 2022, he saved three penalties across the tournament, including in the final against France. He is a known threat in those moments: loud, physical, disruptive, brilliant. If Sunday’s match goes to extra time and beyond, his chances of claiming a second consecutive Golden Glove go from slim to real. Very real.
A dramatic Final — a goalless ninety minutes, a tense extra period, a penalty shootout — is the only scenario that overturns what Simón has built over seven matches. It is not the likeliest outcome. But this is a World Cup Final.
The Race — Where It Stands
The most likely result is that Simón wins. His six clean sheets, his command of Spain’s defensive structure, and his tournament-long consistency make him the overwhelming frontrunner. The FIFA Technical Study Group will struggle to argue against it.
Martínez wins if the match goes to penalties and he is the difference. That is the only remaining path. It is narrow. It is real. And if it happens, it will be one of the great individual stories of any FIFA World Cup™.
Spain vs Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final — live on ZEE 5, July 20, 12:30 AM IST. Don’t miss a save.
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