David Raya, Unai Simon, and Joan Garcia are locked in competition for Spain’s goalkeeper position at the 2026 World Cup in the United States. Unai Simon is expected to start Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Raya, 30, had an outstanding 2025-2026 season with Arsenal, helping them win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years and earning the Golden Glove for most clean sheets in the league [1, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5]. "Personally, I think it was a very successful season and collectively it was spectacular," Raya said, reflecting on his performances and the title win [2]. He also praised Simon’s contributions: "Since Unai debuted, he has performed at a really high level. We have won the Nations League, the Euros with him and he’s a great goalkeeper who has given us these titles," Raya told reporters at Spain’s training base in Chattanooga on June 13 [1].

Joan Garcia starred for Barcelona as they secured the 2025-2026 La Liga title but is currently viewed as less likely to start than Simon [1, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5]. In warm-up friendlies, Garcia started against Iraq but made an error in the 1-1 draw, while Simon and Raya saw game time against Peru in a 3-1 win [5].

Raya spent most of his career in England, beginning at Blackburn Rovers, having a loan spell at Southport, rising to prominence at Brentford, and then moving to Arsenal [1, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5]. He and Arsenal also reached the 2026 Champions League final but lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties [1, 2, 6, 3, 4].

Raya acknowledged the healthy competition for the starting spot: "[We take the debate] with total naturalness. There's always been a lot of competition, with the goalkeepers we have. We try to push each other to be better, and make the manager's job a bit more difficult to choose. We're here to help each other," he said [5]. He also addressed feeling overlooked before due to playing abroad but said, "I am doing my job for my club to be the best I can be and to be able to represent my country, which is the most important thing... to win the second (World Cup) star" [1].

On questions of switching allegiance to England, where he has spent much of his career, Raya said, "No, it has never gone through my head. I feel Spanish. I always wanted to play for Spain, and I never thought about it" [5].

Spain's first World Cup match is scheduled for June 15 in Atlanta against Cape Verde, with starting goalkeeper Unai Simon set to take the field [2, 3, 4, 5].