Unai Simón is on track to set one of the greatest individual records in World Cup history. The Spanish goalkeeper has not conceded a single goal in the 2026 World Cup, having gone 450 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal and leading La Roja to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

In fact, if he manages to keep a clean sheet against Belgium as well, he will break a historic record that has stood for 36 years. This refers to the achievement of Walter Zenga, who, at the 1990 World Cup, kept Italy’s net untouched for 517 consecutive minutes in a single tournament. Simón needs another 68 minutes to surpass him.

The Spaniard, however, has already made history. Since the match against Austria in the Round of 32, he has surpassed Jenga’s all-time record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in World Cups, now reaching 609 consecutive minutes, as Spain’s final match at the Qatar World Cup against Morocco is included in the streak.

At the same time, he became the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive World Cup matches, once again surpassing the legendary Italian, who had stopped at five.

He himself, however, avoids dwelling on personal achievements, insisting that the records belong to the entire team. “The record says more about the team than about me. It would be the same whether David Raya or Joan García were playing. From Oyarzabal to me and those who aren’t playing, everyone contributes to this,” the Spanish international said.

*photo source: AP