Nico Williams and Unai Simón to represent Athletic at the Ballon d'Or ceremony
Nico Williams and Unai Simón to represent Athletic at the Ballon d'Or ceremony
Two Athletic players, both of whom came up through the youth academy, will bring Bilbao, the Basque Country and the identity of a unique club to the most prestigious ceremony in international football
For the first time in Athletic Club's history, two Zurigorri footballers will be the focus of the Ballon d'Or 2024 event, which will be held this Monday in Paris.
Nico Williams is a contender to win the Ballon d'Or after his fabulous 2023/24 season with Los Leones.
The Basque footballer, developed in the Lezama youth academy from the age of 11, was one of the most scintillating players in LaLiga and helped Athletic win their long-awaited 25th Copa trophy.
Currently, Athletic are second the competition's all-time winners standings, in front of Real Madrid and only behind FC Barcelona - two clubs that along with Los Leones have never been relegated from Spain's top-flight.
What's more, Nico Williams capped off a fantastic season by winning the 2024 European Championship with Spain, where he scored and was named man of the match in the final against England.
Unai Simón, Nico's club and national team-mate, is one of the ten nominees for the Lev Yashin Trophy, which is bestowed upon the best goalkeeper of the year. The Basque shotstopper's extraordinary 2023/24 season saw him collect the Zamora Trophy for least goals conceded in LaLiga. Furthermore, Simón, like Nico Williams, played a massive role in Athletic's Copa triumph and lifted the Euro 2024 trophy with Spain.
The presence of Nico Williams and Unai Simón among the nominees at the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony is a major credit to Athletic Club's way of understanding football.
There is no other team in elite football that competes only with players born or developed in the land that the club represents, something that was common in the origins of football.
This makes Athletic a unique club in the world. Amongst stars representing truly global teams, two footballers from a completely different sort of club will stand out from the rest. These two players who have shared a dressing room since they were children will confirm Athletic Club's strong standing in the world of football.