Simón won the 2026 Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, receiving one of the most significant individual honours of his career after an outstanding year that also included winning the World Cup with Spain. His acceptance speech was among the evening’s emotional moments, with the goalkeeper using the occasion to thank the people who had shaped his career and reflect on the values he associates with football.
The new collection draws a direct line between Simón and José Ángel Iribar, the legendary Athletic Club goalkeeper whose influence remains central to the club’s identity. Athletic’s official description presents the design as a meeting of two generations, using silhouettes of the pair making diving saves to represent a shared responsibility to protect the club’s history.
The range consists of a T-shirt, a sweatshirt and a cap, each featuring the exclusive design. Prices begin at €20 for the cap, while the sweatshirt costs €76. The T-shirt is available in junior sizing for €30 and adult sizing for €32.
The launch also fits Athletic’s wider effort to develop commercial income, with retail offering another way to turn a major sporting moment into a lasting connection with supporters. Rather than simply celebrating a trophy, the club has built the products around a story that links its current number one with one of the most important figures in its history.
Simón’s speech explained why that legacy mattered to him. He thanked his family, his partner, childhood friends, coaches and team-mates, before turning to the late Koldo Asúa, who had helped him understand the game differently.
“Finally, I would like to thank Koldo Asúa, may he rest in peace. He taught me to understand football in a different way from how I had previously seen it. He taught me that football is about more than trophies, winning matches and individual recognition. What really matters is the legacy you leave behind when it is all over, and being remembered as a good person and a good team-mate, beyond the victories you achieve.”
He then pointed to Iribar as the clearest example of that principle, describing the veteran as someone whose contribution to Athletic continues to be felt decades after his playing career.
The goalkeeper’s full speech follows.
“First of all, it is a source of pride for me to be here receiving this award. It would be impossible to collect this prize without the help of many people to whom I will be eternally grateful. Among them are my parents and my sister, for bringing me up with the principles and values that have made me the person I am today.
“To my girlfriend, for being that oasis of calm. In this chaotic world of football, we all need someone like that in our lives, and I have found that person in her. To all my childhood friends, whom I have been meeting up with for more than 20 years. They help me understand that many of us in this room are privileged because of the lives we have and the society we live in, and they keep my feet on the ground.
“Obviously, to all the coaches: Luis de la Fuente, Ernesto Valverde and Luis Enrique. And to all my team-mates in the national team: Joan, David… Without you, it would have been impossible to achieve the award we won this summer, one of the most beautiful summers of our lives. And to all my team-mates at Athletic, especially Óscar de Marcos, Iñigo Lekue and Gorka Guruzeta. They are three of the most wonderful people football has given me.
“And finally, I would like to thank Koldo Asúa, may he rest in peace. He taught me to understand football differently from the way I had seen or understood it before. He taught me that football goes beyond trophies, winning matches and individual recognition. What truly matters is the legacy you leave when it is all over: being remembered as a good person and a good team-mate, beyond whatever success you achieve.
“The best example of that is at home, in Ángel Iribar, Chopo. At 83, we still remember everything he has given us, continues to give us and will go on giving us. Alongside him, I have learned to love a club like Athletic Club de Bilbao. A club that has given me everything.
“Thank you very much to all the presidents I have worked with. I have learned to love the club’s colours, its history and, above all, a fanbase to whom I will be eternally grateful. It is thanks to all of them that I am here receiving this award today, so thank you very much to everyone.”
Athletic’s collection gives that message a physical form: a celebration of Simón’s success, but also of the club’s belief that its most important figures are connected by more than their performances on the pitch.