“W e’re the villains, there to stop the goals that football lives off,” Unai Simón remarks. If that’s the case, he is certainly the most notorious of them all, the goalkeeper who could do with a dramatic introduction: In a World Cup where forwards dominate, one man stands firm against them. It was five minutes before halftime in Spain’s match against Portugal in the last 16 when a remarkable milestone occurred, although it was marked by a remarkable absence of goals.
As the clock ticked into the 40th minute, Spain’s goalkeeper extended his streak to 560 World Cup minutes without conceding a goal, a run that spans seven matches dating back to Ao Tanaka’s goal for Japan in Qatar. In their previous match against Austria, he surpassed Walter Zenga’s record of 517 minutes. Now, Simón and Spain have eclipsed Switzerland’s long-standing record of 559 minutes, achieved over a span of 14 years across three tournaments in 1994, 2006, and 2010. Just moments later, Nuno Mendes struck the bar, yet Simón remained unscathed, with Mikel Merino scoring the only goal in the 90th minute.
Recently, Simón confided that he once questioned whether the role was worth it. Playing as a goalkeeper can feel a bit “Sod it, I’ll say it: we have the best goalkeepers at the World Cup,” The headlines often belong to others, particularly the star players: the “They’re very clearly favourites,” is his. Throughout the year, he has been at the center of discussions regarding his performance, especially as Athletic Club faced challenges and competition arose from David Raya, recognized as the Premier League’s top goalkeeper, and Joan García, the standout in La Liga. “The first thing we have to do, is score.” Simón asserted just days ago.
For Luis de la Fuente, however, the matter was never up for debate, regardless of the external chatter. Having coached Simón through various youth teams, including triumphs in the under-19 and under-21 Euros, Olympic silver, the Nations League, and Euro 2024, they are practically family. Now, Spain has rediscovered its identity, and Simón has made history: no nation has ever reached the sixth match of a men’s World Cup without conceding a goal.
This Friday in Los Angeles, Spain will face Belgium in the quarter-finals. “Against Portugal we’ll face more shots. Hopefully not, but I’m sure we will,” Thibaut Courtois stated as a cluster of microphones surrounded him at the LA Galaxy’s training facility in Carson. “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,” Thus far, no one has managed to do so. Spain’s opponents have struggled to generate significant threats, managing only 15 shots during the group stage, with just three on target. Austria, notably, failed to register a single shot on target.
Against Cape Verde, Spain allowed a mere 0.3 expected goals (xG). The figures were even lower against Saudi Arabia at 0.14, against Uruguay at 0.2, and against Austria at 0.32. “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.” Simón predicted. He was correct as Roberto Martínez expressed satisfaction at challenging Spain more than any other opponent had, yet it was still a modest performance: 10 shots, only two on target, and an xG of 0.58. Simón made two crucial saves, bringing his tournament total to six. Among the remaining goalkeepers, only Emiliano Martínez has registered fewer saves, having conceded four goals over the last two matches.
“The record says more about the team than it does about me,” noted García, Simón’s backup. “When I watch him, my heart rate doesn’t change,”
Simón is not alone in his efforts. What term describes a group of villains? A selección? “It doesn’t seem like he’s 19, the way he takes on responsibility is enviable,” he insists. He is not the only player who has participated in every minute of the tournament; Marc Cucurella and Pau Cubarsí have also done so, while Aymeric Laporte sat out just one minute. In front of them, Rodri, who started slowly, has excelled in the last two matches, missing out on only three.
Particularly impressive has been Cubarsí. Amid the hype surrounding Lamine Yamal, the standout teenager, it’s the other young player who has gained the most admiration. Born in Estanyol, a small village of about 200 residents, he is the son of a carpenter from a family business that has existed for four generations. Cubarsí is now the second youngest player ever to debut for Spain, with Lamine Yamal holding the record as the youngest. On the day Cubarsí made his debut for Barcelona, he and Yamal were younger than Robert Lewandowski combined.
There was something distinct about him from the beginning. “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,” remarked Xavi Hernández, Barcelona’s then-coach. De la Fuente provided him his debut for Spain, and though he chose not to include him in the Euros, considering it too soon, that composure is evident now. “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].” Simón stated. Cubarsí has completed 96% of his 449 passes, and not all are sideways: 34 of his 71 passes against Portugal advanced into the opponent’s half. He also recorded 19 recoveries and completed 23 defensive actions. Only Paolo Maldini achieved as many clean sheets so quickly.
“We all attack and we all defend,” De la Fuente explained. “Spain are very aggressive in the press,”
Indeed, all 11 players contribute. “It’s about denying their defenders time, not letting them think, making sure when they have to make decisions they do it under pressure,” Dani Olmo stated. While García concedes that Spain’s structure is less adventurous than Barcelona’s, it all starts with the forwards, a shared belief. Their approach is certainly not defensive in the traditional sense: against Austria, full-backs Cucurella and Pedro Porro each scored and assisted.
Stronger challenges lie ahead, but it’s noteworthy that Spain’s opponents have failed to seriously threaten Simón’s goal; they have rarely even approached it. “If you can keep a clean sheet, it’s a guarantee that a good result is coming.” Courtois cautioned.
“It’s about denying their defenders time, not allowing them to think, ensuring that when they must make decisions, they do so under pressure,” insisted striker Mikel Oyarzabal. Merino added: “If you can maintain a clean sheet, it guarantees a positive result.”
In 2010, as Spain progressed to win the World Cup, they didn’t concede a single goal in the knockout stage; Iker Casillas achieved four consecutive matches without conceding, setting a record now eclipsed by Simón, the so-called villain of this narrative.
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