When Bernardo Silva’s header drifted just over the crossbar in stoppage time Monday, Rodri lost it. The Spanish captain screamed in his former Manchester City teammate’s face, and Silva fired back. Rodri later calmed down enough to apologize in the mixed zone. “I made a mistake,” he said. “I celebrated when he had missed. I apologized to him immediately.”
That miss didn’t just send Spain to a World Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles. It kept their defensive record spotless. Five matches in this tournament, and nobody has scored on them. That’s 609 consecutive minutes without conceding a World Cup goal, a new record that broke Switzerland’s old mark from 1994–2010.
Coach Luis de la Fuente summed it up simply after the Portugal win. “This is the result of collective work,” he said. “Great defensive solidity. There is solidarity, effort, sacrifice. Everybody runs for one another. The attitude these footballers show is committed to the cause.”
Unai Simon’s Quiet Record Run
Goalkeeper Unai Simon has been the backbone of this group. De la Fuente stuck with him as the No. 1 despite calls for David Raya to take over. Simon hasn’t made a first-half save in the last four games before Portugal finally tested him when Cristiano Ronaldo put a shot on target. It tells you how little work he’s actually had to do.
The back four is settled. Marc Cucurella has been a revelation at left back after inconsistent years at Chelsea. Pau Cubarsi, the Barcelona teenager, replaced Robin Le Normand in the Euro 2024 winning team and looks like he’s been there for years. Aymeric Laporte partners him. Pedro Porro has locked down right back over Marcos Llorente and scored against Austria. He’s a constant threat going forward.
Then there’s Rodri. He’s the best defensive midfielder in the world. Poised on the ball, destructive off it. Spain keeps possession most of the time. When they lose it, they press high and fast. It suffocates opponents, forces them to go long, and they lose the ball anyway. Belgium will get a taste of that tonight in Inglewood after their best performance of the tournament against the US.
The Streak That Keeps Growing
Spain is unbeaten in 35 competitive matches. That dates back to a 2023 loss to Scotland, which featured a famously salty Rodri post-game interview. If they win the World Cup, they’ll pass Italy’s all-time record of 37 straight competitive matches set in 2021. France could be waiting in the semifinals. That’s earning it the hard way.
De la Fuente isn’t hiding from the pressure. “We have many qualities that will make our opponents think we’re the team to beat,” he said. “We are very sure of ourselves. We’ll give our best until the very last moment. Our opponents will have to beat us.”
Everybody talks about Yamal and Pedri and Dani Olmo. They’re the flashy creators up top. But the foundation is the five at the back and Rodri running the defensive operation. Can Belgium’s attackers — Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku, Leonardo Trossard, Romelu Lukaku — find a way through where nobody else has this summer? It feels unlikely.
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