FIFA World Cup Golden Glove Winners: Full List and the 2026 Winner

Last updated: Jul 21, 2026

Table of Contents

What is the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove?

The Golden Glove is the award given to the best goalkeeper of each FIFA World Cup, decided by FIFA’s Technical Study Group rather than a public vote.

The panel weighs clean sheets, saves, and a keeper’s overall influence on their team’s run, so deep tournament progress usually helps a contender’s case.

The award was first handed out at the 1994 World Cup under the name the Lev Yashin Award, in honour of the legendary Soviet goalkeeper.

FIFA renamed it the Golden Glove from the 2010 tournament onward, though the criteria stayed the same. You can read FIFA’s own rundown of past winners on the official FIFA Golden Glove page.

Every FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winner

Nine goalkeepers have won the award since its 1994 debut, with Germany, Belgium and Spain the only nations to produce two winners each.

Year	Goalkeeper	Country
2026	Unai Simón	Spain
2022	Emiliano Martínez	Argentina
2018	Thibaut Courtois	Belgium
2014	Manuel Neuer	Germany
2010	Iker Casillas	Spain
2006	Gianluigi Buffon	Italy
2002	Oliver Kahn	Germany
1998	Fabien Barthez	France
1994	Michel Preud’homme	Belgium

Six of the nine winners lifted the trophy in the same year they took the glove, underlining how closely the award tracks a deep tournament run.

Spain and Belgium are the only countries other than Germany with multiple winners: Spain through Casillas in 2010 and Simón in 2026, and Belgium through Preud’homme in 1994 and Courtois in 2018.

World Cup Golden Glove records and notable facts

Germany’s Oliver Kahn is the only player ever to win the Golden Glove and the Golden Ball at the same World Cup, doing so in 2002.

It remains a rare feat because the Golden Ball goes to the tournament’s best overall player, an honour that almost always lands with an attacker.

No goalkeeper has won the award twice. Emiliano Martínez didn’t repeat as Golden Glove winner in 2026 — the award went to Spain’s Unai Simón instead.

A few other details stand out about the honour:

Nine winners total: One for each World Cup since 1994.
Two-time nations: Germany (Kahn 2002, Neuer 2014), Belgium (Preud’homme 1994, Courtois 2018) and Spain (Casillas 2010, Simón 2026) are the countries with two winners each.
European dominance: Eight of the nine winners are European; Martínez is the only non-European.
Kahn’s double: The only Golden Glove and Golden Ball winner in the same year.

The 2026 Golden Glove: Unai Simón wins

Spain’s Unai Simón won the Golden Glove at the 2026 World Cup, according to FOX Sports.

Simón kept seven clean sheets, a new record for a single World Cup, and conceded only one goal across Spain’s eight matches — Charles De Ketelaere’s header for Belgium in the quarter-final.

His run included a 650-minute shutout streak and a 90% save percentage, according to Sunday Guardian.

The win makes Simón Spain’s second Golden Glove winner after Iker Casillas in 2010. Spain also won the tournament itself, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final.

Here’s how the other leading contenders’ tournaments ended:

Emiliano Martínez (Argentina): Reached the final with Argentina and made 11 saves, but Spain won 1-0 after extra time and Martínez didn’t repeat as Golden Glove winner.
Mike Maignan (France): Eliminated in the semi-final as France lost 2-0 to eventual champions Spain.
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium): Belgium’s run ended in the quarter-final, beaten 2-1 by Spain.
Diogo Costa (Portugal): Portugal went out in the round of 16, beaten 1-0 by Spain.
Alisson Becker (Brazil): Brazil were eliminated in the round of 16 by Norway.

The expanded 48-team format meant finalists played eight matches instead of seven, and Spain used every one of them to build Simón’s record-low goals-against tally.

Travelling to the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup ran from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across 16 host cities in three countries.

The final was played on 19 July at MetLife Stadium near New York, where Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to close out a tournament of 104 matches.

The host cities spanned all three nations:

United States: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and more.
Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Canada: Toronto and Vancouver.

If you’re planning a future trip, you can compare fares on flights to New York.

For places to stay, browse hotels in New York, and use the Wego flight tracker to monitor your connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the last World Cup Golden Glove?

Spain’s Unai Simón won it at the 2026 World Cup. He kept a record seven clean sheets and conceded just one goal across Spain’s eight matches.

Why is it called the Golden Glove?

The award was originally the Lev Yashin Award, named after the legendary Soviet goalkeeper. FIFA renamed it the Golden Glove from the 2010 World Cup.

Has any goalkeeper won the Golden Glove twice?

No goalkeeper has won it twice. Emiliano Martínez didn’t repeat as Golden Glove winner in 2026 — the award went to Spain’s Unai Simón instead.

How is the Golden Glove winner chosen?

FIFA’s Technical Study Group selects the winner. They assess clean sheets, saves and a keeper’s overall impact on their team’s tournament run.

Sources

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.