- Ten goalkeepers have been nominated for the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award
- The shortlist includes established names such as Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, Yassine Bounou and David Raya
- Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simón, Édouard Mendy and Vozinha complete the ten-man list
The ten goalkeepers nominated for the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award have also been officially revealed, with the shortlist bringing together established stars, major trophy winners and one of the biggest individual stories of the 2026 World Cup.
Barcelona’s Joan García is among the candidates after an outstanding campaign in Spain. He won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, claimed the Zamora Trophy after conceding just 21 goals in 30 league appearances and then added the World Cup with Spain.
Nominated for the 2026 Men's Goalkeeper of the Year ⬇️
🇲🇦 Yassine Bounou
🇧🇪 Thibaut Courtois
🇪🇸 Joan García
🇨🇭 Gregor Kobel
🇦🇷 Emiliano Martínez
🇸🇳 Édouard Mendy
🇪🇸 David Raya
🇷🇺 Matvey Safonov
🇪🇸 Unai Simón
🇨🇻 Vozinha#ballondor pic.twitter.com/WFvHYOqC5q— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 8, 2026
His Spain teammate Unai Simón also makes the list after playing a central role in the national team’s World Cup triumph. The Athletic Club goalkeeper conceded only once during the tournament and received the Golden Glove as its best goalkeeper, adding another major international achievement to a career that already includes the European Championship.
Arsenal’s David Raya is another nominee following a season in which he won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final. Raya kept 19 league clean sheets to claim the Premier League Golden Glove for a third consecutive season and also recorded nine shutouts in 14 Champions League appearances as Arsenal came within a penalty shootout of lifting the trophy.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Matvey Safonov earns his place after helping the French club win the Champions League. The Russian started the final against Arsenal and was part of the PSG side that eventually prevailed on penalties, while Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is also nominated after keeping a Bundesliga-high 15 clean sheets and helping Dortmund finish second in Germany before guiding Switzerland to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Yassine Bounou and Édouard Mendy give the shortlist a strong African presence. Al Hilal goalkeeper Bounou was named the best goalkeeper at the Africa Cup of Nations after keeping five clean sheets as Morocco reached the final. Mendy finished on the winning side in that final with Senegal and also captained Al Ahli to a second successive AFC Champions League title, making him one of the most decorated nominees over the qualifying period.
Thibaut Courtois and Emiliano Martínez add further experience to the field. Courtois remains one of Real Madrid’s leading figures and is a previous winner of the goalkeeper award, while Martínez helped Aston Villa win the Europa League before taking Argentina all the way to the World Cup final, where only an extra-time goal denied them another world title.
The final nominee is perhaps the biggest surprise of the ten. Cape Verde veteran Vozinha became one of the stories of the World Cup at the age of 40, producing seven saves in a goalless draw with Spain on his country’s tournament debut and later helping Cape Verde reach the knockout stage of their first World Cup. His performances turned what looked like an unlikely nomination before the tournament into one of the shortlist’s most memorable inclusions.
