Unai Simón, fresh from winning the World Cup and Euro 2024, still drives the same Range Rover he bought eight years ago. As Spain prepares for another Nations League campaign, his priorities remain strikingly grounded.
Unai Simón does things his own way. He’s not just Spain’s wall in goal. He’s the rare footballer who won’t swap his old car for something flashier. Most players with a World Cup, Euro 2024, and Nations League medal would be eyeing the latest supercar. Not Simón. He’s still behind the wheel of the same Range Rover he picked up eight years back.
He’s 29 now. The Athletic keeper has a career most can only dream about. Spain’s run with him in goal has been historic. Nations League champion in 2023. European champion in 2024. Then, after a summer that changed everything, World Cup winner in 2026. He barely let in a goal. Just one slipped past him all tournament. He went 650 minutes unbeaten. That earned him the Golden Glove.
According to leading Spanish sports outlets, Simón has actually been driving a Renault Vel Satis for the past eight years, not a Range Rover as often reported in international media.
Medals and headlines haven’t changed his habits. In a recent ABC interview, Simón spelled out his thinking: “I have one car and until the engine gives up, I’ll keep using it. It’s a Range Rover, I’ve had it for eight years. If I can keep it for another eight, even better. As long as it starts and gets me to training at Lezama, that’s enough.”
He’s never named the exact model. But he’s been spotted driving a Range Rover Velar. It’s a premium SUV, but not the kind of car that screams for attention. The Velar is 4.8 meters long. Its clean, simple lines and flush door handles made it stand out when it launched. It sits between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport in the lineup.
Inside, the Velar ditched most buttons. It uses the Touch Pro Duo system—two 10-inch touchscreens stacked on the dash. They control everything: music, climate, navigation. Depending on the trim, buyers could get surround cameras, adaptive cruise, blind spot alerts, and air suspension. No one knows exactly which features Simón’s car has. The engine is a mystery too.
UEFA highlighted Simón as a key figure in Spain's 2023 Nations League triumph, noting his two penalty saves in the Rotterdam shootout that secured Luis de la Fuente's first trophy as national coach. In recent 2026 tournament reviews, Simón is consistently described as one of Spain's standout performers, praised for his exceptionally low goals-conceded rate and for winning the tournament's best goalkeeper award.
When Simón bought his Range Rover, buyers had options. Diesel or petrol. Four or six cylinders. The diesel D300 had a 3.0-liter V6, 300 horsepower, and 700 Nm of torque. The petrol P380 was a supercharged V6 with 380 horsepower. It could hit 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. The Velar was never cheap. But it wasn’t a Ferrari or Lamborghini. It was a statement—premium, but not showy.
Simón’s choice stands out even more now. Electric and hybrid SUVs are everywhere in Spain. As reported earlier, brands like BYD and Leapmotor are shaking up the market with new tech and sharp prices. The luxury SUV game is changing fast.
Still, Simón sticks with what works. He’s at the top of world football, but he keeps driving his eight-year-old Range Rover. Spain is gearing up for another Nations League run. Simón isn’t changing his ways. For fans, it’s a reminder: not every champion needs a new car to prove a point. In a sport obsessed with image, Simón’s steady approach is rare. Sometimes, substance wins.
