Some decisions leave even the most composed fan bewildered. The vote by supporters on the official FIFA website to form the World Cup's ideal XI has just served up a paradox as baffling as it is hard to digest: Unai Simón, the least-conceding goalkeeper in the entire history of World Cups, is left out of the tournament's dream team. This is not mere opinion; the numbers speak for themselves.

A historic record that goes unrecognised

The Athletic Club goalkeeper kept his goal locked tight in seven of the eight matches Spain played in the competition. A balance that sounds almost incredible in a World Cup: he conceded just one goal, precisely against Belgium in the quarter-finals. That figure makes him the least-punished goalkeeper ever seen in World Cup history, surpassing the legendary record held by Walter Zenga for decades.

As if that were not enough, the tournament's referees and experts unanimously recognised his performance: he was awarded best goalkeeper of the tournament at the end of the final. Yet when supporters pressed the button to choose their favourite goalkeeper, the scales tipped towards Vozinha of Cape Verde, according to mundodeportivo.com.

A Spanish defence overlooked

The anomaly does not end in goal. Neither Laporte nor Cubarsí appear in fans' ideal XI, despite being two of the Spain squad's most solid centre-backs in a tournament where they conceded few chances. Both faced very few opportunities against them, which speaks precisely to their defensive solidity. However, at centre-back, Lisandro (Argentina) and Upamecano (France) won through in the popular vote.

Most incomprehensible of all: the initial list of candidates came from FIFA's own bodies, headed by Gianni Infantino. It is hard to understand how such an omission could occur in the selection process for the tournament's best defenders.

Recognition of the true value

What more must a footballer do to be recognised? Unai Simón, Laporte and Nico Williams return to Bilbao with the finest of credentials: they are world champions. That title is what truly matters, what will drive these players forward and motivate them in the months to come. The numbers do not lie; the trophy cabinet does not either.

With the new season just around the corner—it kicks off on 22 August with Sevilla's visit to San Mamés—these unorthodox international recognitions will fade into the background. What will count then is what they do on the pitch, week in week out, in the league. And there, after such a successful World Cup campaign, expectations for Athletic are higher than ever.

Because in the end, as so often happens in football, the true judges of quality are the facts themselves. Votes, more often than not, are merely a curious footnote.