The streak is dead. And it only took a header from an Atalanta midfielder to kill it.
Spain entered Tuesday’s World Cup quarterfinal against Belgium having not conceded a goal at the tournament in 649 competitive minutes. That run stretched all the way back to their group stage loss to Japan in 2022. Luis de la Fuente’s team had already broken Switzerland’s longstanding record for the longest shutout streak in World Cup history, a mark that had stood for 16 years. But the Swiss record fell by barely 90 minutes before Belgium’s Charles de Ketelaere erased it completely.
Fabián Ruiz put Spain ahead in the 30th minute, nodding home from close range. It looked like more of the same for a Spanish side that had been impenetrable at the back through four matches this tournament. But then de Ketelaere struck in the 41st minute, rising to meet a cross and directing it past Unai Simón. It was the first goal Spain had allowed at a World Cup since a 2-1 loss to Japan on December 1, 2022. That’s 1,314 days between conceding at the finals, if you’re counting.
The record that almost wasn’t
Spain’s defensive run was absurd even by their own standards. They hadn’t allowed a goal across four group games and knockout matches combined. The last time they trailed in a World Cup game was that Japan match, a result that sent them into the knockout bracket as group runners-up. Since then? Clean sheet after clean sheet. Switzerland’s old mark of 559 minutes without conceding was the benchmark going back to the 1930s and 40s. Spain blew past it without much drama until de Ketelaere finally broke through.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for La Roja. Belgium equalized just before halftime, completely resetting the momentum of the match. Spain had controlled possession and looked comfortable. Now they’re in a real fight.
What happens next?
With the streak gone, Spain has to prove they can win a knockout game without relying on their backline being perfect. They’ve got the attacking talent to score goals, but the margin for error just got tighter. Belgium, meanwhile, got exactly what they needed: proof that Spain’s defense is human after all. The second half is shaping up to be a chess match between two teams that both believe they can expose the other.
One thing is certain: that 649-minute streak is over. How Spain responds will decide whether the record feels like a footnote or the start of a bigger story.
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