The Spanish team gave a new blow of authority in the 2026 World Cup by defeating Austria 3-0, in a match also marked by a historic event: the goalkeeper Unai Simón became the goalkeeper with the longest unbeaten streak in World Cup history.
The group led by Luis de la Fuente imposed conditions from the first minutes and once again showed the solidity that has made him one of the main candidates for the title. With control of possession of the ball and a practically insurmountable defense, La Roja resolved the commitment, sealed their classification and extended their streak without defeat to 35 consecutive games.
Beyond the result, the attention was focused on Unai Simón. The Spanish goalkeeper came into the game needing just a few minutes to surpass the Italian’s historic mark Walter Zenga, who accumulated 517 minutes without conceding a goal during the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Simón’s historic streak began at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Japanese Ao Tanaka scored the last goal the Spanish goalkeeper has conceded in a World Cup. Since then, he kept a clean sheet until the end of the match against Japan, throughout the tie against Morocco and in the group stage of this edition against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
By reaching 518 minutes without receiving a goal, the Spanish international left behind a mark that remained intact for more than three decades. In addition, he surpassed the national record of Iker Casillas, who accumulated 476 minutes of unbeaten performance between the 2010 South Africa and Brazil 2014 World Cups.
Spain’s defensive performance once again stood out against Austria. During the group stage, Simón only received three shots between the three sticks, while against the Austrians he was practically a spectator thanks to the order shown by the Spanish defense.
The victory also allowed Spain to equal the best undefeated streak in its history, established between 2007 and 2009 under the technical direction of Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. That generation won the 2008 European Championship before the United States ended the series in the semifinals of the 2009 Confederations Cup.
Now, La Roja has another historical record within reach. With 35 games without losing, they are just two games away from equaling Italy’s 37 unbeaten games, a mark established between 2018 and 2021. and recognized as one of the most important in international football.
With a solid defense, a squad full of talent and a goalkeeper who continues to write notable pages in the history of the World Cups, Spain is moving steadily towards its goal of winning a new world crown.