Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has not conceded a goal at the 2026 World Cup, breaking the men's record for most consecutive minutes without conceding. The previous record of 559 minutes, held by Switzerland across three tournaments (1994, 2006, 2010), was surpassed in the 40th minute of Spain's round-of-16 match against Portugal. Simón's streak now stands at over 600 minutes, dating back to Ao Tanaka's goal for Japan in Qatar 2022.
A Defence Built on Prevention
Spain's defensive solidity extends beyond Simón. The team has allowed only 15 shots in the group stage, with just three on target. Austria failed to register a single shot on goal. Against Cape Verde, Spain conceded an expected goals (xG) of 0.3; against Saudi Arabia, 0.14; against Uruguay, 0.2; and against Austria, 0.32. Even Portugal, who caused more problems, managed only 10 shots with two on target and an xG of 0.58. Simón has made just six saves in the tournament, fewer than any other remaining goalkeeper except Emiliano Martínez, who has conceded four goals in his last two games.
“The important thing for a goalkeeper is the ability to prevent rather than save,” said understudy Joan García. “Stop them getting to you: coming out for a high ball, covering defensively, intercepting low crosses. Those things might not get reflected in the stats but they’re vital.”
Simón's Journey and Team Balance
Simón, who once questioned if goalkeeping was “thankless,” has been backed by coach Luis de la Fuente throughout. De la Fuente coached Simón through youth teams, winning the under-19 and under-21 European Championships, Olympic silver, the Nations League, and Euro 2024. “Sod it, I’ll say it: we have the best goalkeepers at the World Cup,” Simón said.
Defenders Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsí, and Aymeric Laporte have played nearly every minute. Rodri, who started slowly, has been outstanding in the last two matches. Cubarsí, 19, has completed 96% of his 449 passes, with 34 of 71 against Portugal going into the opposition's half. He has 19 recoveries and 23 defensive actions. “It doesn’t seem like he’s 19, the way he takes on responsibility is enviable,” Simón said.
Belgium Challenge Ahead
Spain face Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday in Los Angeles. “They’re very clearly favourites,” said Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “The first thing we have to do is score.” Belgium will need to breach a defence that has conceded only one goal in the tournament (against Japan in 2022). “Spain are very aggressive in the press,” Courtois warned.
Spain's approach is not defensive in the traditional sense. Full-backs Cucurella and Pedro Porro scored one and set up two between them against Austria. “We all attack and we all defend,” said Dani Olmo. Mikel Oyarzabal added: “It’s about denying their defenders time, not letting them think, making sure when they have to make decisions they do it under pressure.” Mikel Merino summed up: “If you can keep a clean sheet, it’s a guarantee that a good result is coming.”
