“W e’re the villains, there to stop the goals that football lives off,” Unai Simón states. If that’s the case, he embodies the role of the antagonist in a narrative full of attackers. In a World Cup largely defined by forward play, one individual stands firm against the tide. With five minutes remaining before the half-time whistle in Spain’s clash with Portugal during the Round of 16, something monumental almost transpired, but ultimately, nothing happened, which is precisely how Simón prefers it.
As the 40th minute approached, Spain’s goalkeeper reached a remarkable milestone: 560 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup play, a streak spanning seven matches that extends back to Ao Tanaka’s goal for Japan in Qatar. Previously, during the last 32 against Austria, he surpassed Walter Zenga’s record of 517 minutes, and now he has eclipsed Switzerland’s previous mark of 559 minutes, achieved over a span of 14 years across three tournaments in 1994, 2006, and 2010. Shortly thereafter, Nuno Mendes struck the crossbar, yet Simón remained unscathed, with Mikel Merino’s late goal securing a 1-0 victory.
Not too long ago, Simón confessed to questioning the value of his role. He remarked that being a goalkeeper can feel “Sod it, I’ll say it: we have the best goalkeepers at the World Cup,” The limelight often shines on others, especially the “They’re very clearly favourites,”: the “The first thing we have to do, is score.” surrounding the position is undeniable. Throughout the year, he has been at the heart of a debate. How could it be otherwise when Athletic Club was struggling and he was up against David Raya, touted as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, and Joan García, who holds the same title in La Liga? “Against Portugal we’ll face more shots. Hopefully not, but I’m sure we will,” Simón asserted just days ago.
For Luis de la Fuente, however, there was never any contention, regardless of the external clamor. He has coached Simón since his youth, guiding him to numerous victories: under-19 and under-21 Euros, Olympic silver, the Nations League, and Euro 2024. Their bond is akin to family, and now Spain appears revitalized, with Simón making history. No other nation has ever progressed to the sixth match of a men’s World Cup while maintaining a clean sheet.
On Friday, Spain will face Belgium in the quarter-finals, where Thibaut Courtois remarked, “The important thing for a goalkeeper, something I place a lot of importance upon and that Unai defines very well too, is the ability to prevent rather than save,” as he addressed numerous microphones at the LA Galaxy’s training facility in Carson. “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 for a goalkeeper. That’s key: prevent the chance coming in the first place. That’s been a key in this World Cup for us.” To this point, no team has managed to breach Spain’s defense. During the group stage, they registered only 15 shots, with a mere three hitting the target. Austria failed to register a single shot on goal.
In their match against Cape Verde, Spain conceded a mere 0.3 expected goals (xG). Against Saudi Arabia, it was 0.14, against Uruguay 0.2, and against Austria 0.32. “The record says more about the team than it does about me,” Simón predicted. He was accurate, and although Roberto Martínez expressed satisfaction at challenging Spain in ways no other team had, the results were still modest: 10 total shots, only two on target, and an xG of 0.58. Simón made two saves, bringing his tournament total to six, with only Emiliano Martínez among the remaining keepers making fewer saves, albeit having conceded four goals in his last two outings.
“When I watch him, my heart rate doesn’t change,” states García, Simón’s backup. “It doesn’t seem like he’s 19, the way he takes on responsibility is enviable,”
This philosophy also underscores a deeper concept. If Simón is the villain, he is not alone in this narrative. What do you call a group of villains? A selección? “Pau and Aymeric are a luxury: they fit the idea we have, they bring the ball out, they filter passes, and they have presence: they’re very complete,” Simón emphasizes. He is not the only player to have featured in every minute of the tournament; Marc Cucurella and Pau Cubarsí have also played the full 90 in each match. Aymeric Laporte has missed just one minute. Rodri has been outstanding in recent matches, missing only three minutes total.
Cubarsí, in particular, has been exceptional. Amidst the buzz surrounding Lamine Yamal, the young prodigy capturing headlines, it is the other teenager who has made a notable impact. Hailing from tiny Estanyol, a village of around 200 residents, Cubarsí is the son of a carpenter with a family business stretching back four generations. He is the second youngest player ever to debut for Spain, while Lamine Yamal holds the record for the youngest. On the day Cubarsí made his debut for Barcelona, he and Yamal were collectively younger than Robert Lewandowski.
From the outset, something set him apart. “A footballer is not just a footballer because of his quality; there are 1,000 other elements too. Technically you can be very good but [young players] wouldn’t be as good if they didn’t have an emotional control of the situation; that’s what truly makes the difference, what means a 19-year-old plays like he’s spent a lifetime there. And we know the importance of having someone near to give you serenity in key moments when you could lose it. There’s a magnificent balance between them. Between all four [defenders].” remarked Barcelona’s former coach Xavi Hernández. De la Fuente introduced him to the national team and opted not to include him in the Euros, deeming it too soon. However, his composure is evident. “We all attack and we all defend,” Simón notes. Cubarsí has achieved a remarkable 96% completion rate on his 449 passes, with 34 of his 71 against Portugal made into the opposition’s half. He also recorded 19 recoveries and completed 23 defensive actions, matching Paolo Maldini for the fastest number of clean sheets.
“Spain are very aggressive in the press,” De la Fuente explains. “It’s about denying their defenders time, not letting them think, making sure when they have to make decisions they do it under pressure,”
Indeed, all 11 players contribute. “If you can keep a clean sheet, it’s a guarantee that a good result is coming.” Dani Olmo asserts. García concedes that Spain’s tactical setup is less risky compared to that of Barcelona, but this initiative begins from the front—an idea shared among the squad. Their approach is certainly not defensive in the conventional sense; in the match against Austria, full-backs Cucurella and Pedro Porro combined for one goal and two assists.
Greater challenges await, but it’s noteworthy that Spain’s opponents have rarely threatened Simón’s goal; they have not only struggled to take shots but have also found it challenging to approach his area. “Spain are very aggressive in the press,” Courtois cautioned.
“It’s about denying their defenders time, not letting them think, making sure when they have to make decisions they do it under pressure,” insists striker Mikel Oyarzabal. Merino adds, “If you can keep a clean sheet, it’s a guarantee that a good result is coming.”
In 2010, on their way to winning the World Cup, Spain did not concede any goals during the knockout rounds; Iker Casillas recorded four consecutive matches without letting in a goal, setting a record that Simón, the villain of this narrative, has now surpassed.
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