Spain have set a new men's World Cup record for the longest run without conceding a goal, a milestone reached during their 1-0 last-16 win over Portugal. Goalkeeper Unai Simón passed the 559-minute mark previously held by Switzerland (set across the 1994, 2006 and 2010 tournaments), and now stands at 560 minutes without conceding across seven matches, stretching back to a Japan goal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. No country has ever reached the sixth game of a men's World Cup without letting in a goal, and the achievement has repaid coach Luis de la Fuente's faith in Simón despite competition from David Raya and Joan García.

The article stresses that the record reflects a collective defensive strength rather than heavy goalkeeping workload, as Spain have faced remarkably few meaningful chances. Opponents managed just 15 shots (three on target) in the group stage, with Austria failing to register a single effort on target, and expected-goals figures against them have been consistently low (for example 0.14 against Saudi Arabia and 0.58 against Portugal). Simón has made only six saves all tournament, while defenders including Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte have played almost every minute; the 19-year-old Cubarsí, praised for his composure, has completed 96% of his 449 passes. Spain next face European champions Belgium in the quarter-final in Los Angeles on Friday, with Thibaut Courtois calling them clear favourites.