David Raya calls World Cup experience a dream after successful year at Arsenal

David Raya is living the kind of year that most footballers only sketch out on a napkin as teenagers. A Premier League title. A third straight Golden Glove. A Champions League finals appearance. And now, a second World Cup with Spain.

The Arsenal goalkeeper described his inclusion in Spain’s 2026 World Cup squad as “a dream,” a phrase that sounds like boilerplate athlete-speak until you consider the trajectory that got him here.

From Brentford to the top of English football

Raya’s path to this moment has been anything but conventional for a goalkeeper of his current stature. He arrived at Arsenal from Brentford in 2023, initially raising eyebrows among fans who wondered whether he could displace Aaron Ramsdale and handle the pressure of a genuine title challenge.

During the 2025-26 season, Raya recorded 19 clean sheets in the Premier League, earning him the Golden Glove for the third consecutive year. The club clinched the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years during the 2025-26 campaign.

In the Champions League, he equaled a clean sheet record while helping the Gunners reach the final. Arsenal ultimately fell short in that match, but Raya’s individual performances throughout the tournament further cemented his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in European football.

International pedigree that keeps growing

Raya’s World Cup selection, announced on May 25, 2026, was hardly a surprise given his form. This marks Raya’s second World Cup, following his involvement in the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Between those two World Cups, he played a role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, adding a major international trophy to his growing collection of accolades.

His comments about the World Cup came on June 22, 2026, as the tournament was underway.

The 19 clean sheets in a single Premier League season means that in roughly half of Arsenal’s league matches, the opposition couldn’t score.

Three consecutive Golden Gloves, a league title, a Champions League final, a European Championship winner’s medal, and now a second World Cup. Raya called it a dream. For a goalkeeper who was playing in the Championship just a few years ago, the waking reality has turned out to be considerably better than any dream he might have had.

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