One of the key players on Spain’s squad in this World Cup is goalkeeper Unai Simón. The 29-year-old plays for Athletic Bilbao, and he remains one of the more elusive athletes on the team. “I am shy around people I don’t feel comfortable with,” he told La Vanguardia two years ago. “But if you ask my friends or people from my town, Murguía, they will tell you that I am quite outgoing and open. However, with people I don’t know, I find it a bit more difficult to open up. I try not to stand out and prefer to stay on the sidelines.”
He’s kept his personal life private, too; he doesn’t have any form of social media. “When I started in this [career], up to the B team and the first year at Athletic, I did have social media, like all kids,” he said in 2024. “The thing is, I used to read too much about what they were saying about me, and whether it was positive or negative, it affected me a lot. Because then I thought I was very bad when I read the bad stuff or very good if I read the good stuff. So I told myself that I had to force myself to make an effort and quit. And I did.”
Simón’s father serves in Spain’s Civil Guard and his mother is an officer with the Basque Police. “My education and way of being has never been linked to my parents’ profession, they are two different things,” Simón said in that same interview. “They have raised me like any kid in town whose parents had other professions. They have never instilled in me to pursue their line of work, but rather to follow certain values, the same ones I later learned at Athletic. What I can say is that my parents are the most influential people in shaping who I am, and I am proud of it.”
He added, “I don’t like to talk much about my personal life. When things like my parents’ profession come to light, it doesn’t sit well with me because they can be misinterpreted. But we take it completely in stride, as they are just jobs like any other.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
