Unai Simón has been doing something that feels almost routine at this point. He just doesn’t let the ball go in the net. And as a result, the Spanish goalkeeper now owns the longest clean-sheet streak in World Cup history.
The guy from Vitoria-Gasteiz pushed past the 517-minute mark set by Italy’s Walter Zenga way back at Italia ’90. That record had been sitting there untouched for thirty-six years. And Simón didn’t just barely beat it. He’s currently sitting at 545 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup play.
Here’s the wild part. This streak actually started at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It includes the last 39 minutes of the group stage match against Japan, plus the full Round of 16 game against Morocco (extra time included). Spain lost that one on penalties, but Simón’s clean sheet was still intact because penalty shootout goals don’t count against a goalkeeper’s individual stats.
Simón outlasts goalkeeping royalty
To get to this point, Simón had to hold off some serious names. Iker Casillas. Gianluigi Buffon. Peter Shilton. Sepp Maier. All of them held the record at some point, and now Simón has the longest run of all. It’s a pretty incredible list of company for a 29-year-old who wasn’t even Spain’s guaranteed starter heading into the 2022 tournament.
The streak carried through Spain’s entire group stage at the 2026 World Cup. Zero goals conceded in three matches. Then they beat Morocco in the Round of 16, and the ball still didn’t cross their line during regulation or extra time. That’s four straight do-or-die games without a goal against. In tournament soccer, that’s basically a cheat code.
Luis de la Fuente’s defensive wall
You can’t just credit Simón here, obviously. Spain’s entire defensive structure under manager Luis de la Fuente has been rock solid. The center backs, the midfield pressing, the fullbacks tracking back. But when a team gives up that few chances, and the keeper stops everything that does get through, that’s how records happen.
Spain’s 2026 run has been defined by control and patience. They’re not flashy in the way the 2010 team was with all that tiki-taka possession. But they’re efficient. They’re organized. And they have a goalkeeper who looks like he’s playing a different sport right now.
The record is official now. Zenga’s name is out of the book. And if Spain keeps advancing, Simón could push this thing to absurd levels before the tournament is over.
📸 Carl Recine — 2026 Getty Images
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