Spain’s Unai Simon has secured a place in World Cup history by breaking a 36-year-old defensive record. During a 3-0 win over Austria, the Athletic Bilbao keeper maintained his fourth straight clean sheet, extending his scoreless run to 519 minutes across two tournaments.
This performance eclipses the previous record of 517 minutes held by Italian icon Walter Zenga since 1990. While Simon is not always highlighted as a global superstar, his steady presence behind Spain’s solid backline has proven effective. Throughout the current tournament, he has only faced four shots, with the match against Austria seeing him remain entirely unbothered as Spain limited the opposition’s chances.
Coach Luis De La Fuente praised the achievement, noting his personal connection and pride in the goalkeeper. Despite facing pressure to rotate players from peers like David Raya and Joan Garcia, Simon remains the clear primary choice for Spain. His partnership with De La Fuente spans nearly a decade, dating back to their shared success at the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Since the coach took over the senior squad in 2023, their collaboration has yielded significant success for the national team.
