During the international break, experts have analyzed Spain's four elite goalkeepers. La Roja boast world-class goalkeeping depth, having called up Barcelona shot-stopper Joan García (valued at €40 million), Arsenal's David Raya (€35 million), Athletic Club's Unai Simón (€25 million) and Real Sociedad's Álex Remiro (€14 million), with a combined market value exceeding €100 million.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has named four goalkeepers in his squad, a move seen as a diplomatic tactic to appease all parties and avoid offending anyone, as calling up four goalkeepers in an FIFA international window is not common practice. The root cause is that Spain's starting goalkeeper spot remains highly contested. With mixed performances from these keepers this season, there is no definitive answer as to who should be La Roja's first-choice goalkeeper. We can let the statistics speak for themselves.
First and foremost, Unai Simón of Athletic Club was the starting goalkeeper when Spain won the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League, making him the incumbent number one. Under Luis de la Fuente, the Athletic Club shot-stopper has made 25 appearances, and the manager knows him extremely well. De la Fuente not only coached the Basque goalkeeper with Spain's youth teams but also worked with him at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Simón played a pivotal role in Spain's recent trophy triumphs, giving him a natural advantage in the race to be starting goalkeeper for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, statistically speaking, Joan García and David Raya, two of the goalkeepers called up by de la Fuente, have delivered superior performances at the present stage.
In terms of save success rate alone, Barcelona's Joan García stands at 75.52%, while Arsenal's David Raya is at 75%. Since García faces more shots on target, his saves per 90 minutes are also higher than the other three, with 2.74 stops every 90 minutes. García also records the most saves per goal conceded, at 3.09 per game, slightly above Raya and significantly ahead of Simón and Remiro, whose figures barely exceed 1.70 saves per goal conceded.
The difference between expected goals against and actual goals conceded also favors García, who concedes 0.3 fewer goals per game on average. In contrast, his rivals post figures near zero or even negative. The Barcelona goalkeeper delivered a match-winning performance against Rayo Vallecano, and among goalkeepers in Europe's top leagues and competitions, he has conceded 10.06 fewer goals than expected, ranking second only to Mainz's Daniel Batz (10.57), with Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois close behind on 9.99.
Raya has conceded the fewest goals in club football, with just 0.56 goals against per 90 minutes and a total of 25 goals conceded all season. One key reason for his impressive record is that his goal faces very few shots from opponents. Although Joan García's save success rate is nearly identical to Raya's, he has conceded more goals (35 in total) due to facing a higher volume of shots.
One statistic further highlights the Barcelona man's value: opponents create higher-quality chances against him, with an expected goals against figure of 1.19 per 90 minutes. This means that despite similar save success rates (García 75.52%, Raya 75%), García concedes 0.30 fewer goals per 90 minutes, while Raya's figure is just 0.09. Raya's total goals prevented stand at 4.17, less than half of García's total.
As for Unai Simón and Álex Remiro, whom de la Fuente has consistently trusted, their dip in form aligns with their respective clubs' performances, though Athletic Club have picked up in recent times. Simón has not been at his best this season, having conceded 60 goals for Athletic Club, a career-high single-season tally. His previous worst was 50 goals in the 2020-21 campaign, when he played five more matches than he has so far this season.
Remiro, meanwhile, is enduring his worst goals-against average during his time at Real Sociedad, conceding 1.37 goals per 90 minutes. He conceded 64 goals last season and has already let in 47 this term.
Either way, Luis de la Fuente is facing a selection headache of the highest order. With four world-class goalkeepers at his disposal, he must decide whether to cut one from his roster or, as some media outlets speculate, take all four to the 2026 World Cup. Another major dilemma is finalizing his starting goalkeeper.
