Spain set a new World Cup record for consecutive clean sheets, extending their streak to six matches and 609 minutes, following a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16. Mikel Merino's goal in second-half injury time secured the win in Dallas, Texas, US, but the spotlight remained on Spain's formidable defense and goalkeeper Unai Simon. This achievement surpassed previous records of 557 minutes held by Switzerland and 550 minutes by Italy.

Pau Cubarsi (left) challenges Cristiano Ronaldo during the Spain versus Portugal match in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at Dallas, Texas, US, on 6/7. Photo: AP

The impressive clean sheet run began after Spain's 2-1 loss to Japan in the final group stage match of the 2022 World Cup. Since then, Unai Simon has kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against Morocco in the 2022 round of 16, a match FIFA officially counts as a clean sheet despite Spain's subsequent elimination in a penalty shootout.

Continuing into the 2026 World Cup, Spain extended their streak with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, followed by victories against Saudi Arabia (4-0), Uruguay (1-0), Austria (3-0), and Portugal (1-0).

This makes Spain the first team in World Cup history to achieve six consecutive clean sheets, surpassing the previous record of five held by Italy at the 1990 World Cup and Switzerland from the 2006 to 2010 World Cups.

Goalkeeper Unai Simon catches a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo during the Spain versus Portugal match in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at Dallas, Texas, US, on 6/7. Photo: AP

Unai Simon also etched his name in history as the first goalkeeper to record six consecutive clean sheets in the World Cup, breaking the record of five set by Italy's legendary Walter Zenga in 1990.

Within the 2026 World Cup itself, Spain has already equaled Italy's record of five clean sheets in a single tournament, achieved on home soil in 1990. Should Luis de la Fuente's squad maintain a clean sheet in the quarterfinals, they will claim this milestone outright.

Simon's record-breaking streak does not stem from a continuous barrage of saves. Prior to the match against Portugal, the 29-year-old goalkeeper had only made four saves in the 2026 World Cup, notably facing no shots on target from Austria in the round of 32.

However, Simon faced a busier challenge against Portugal, making two crucial saves against Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half, including a diving stop from a close-range shot. Despite this, with a total of six saves throughout the tournament, Simon remains among the goalkeepers with the fewest saves, a testament to Spain's highly effective defensive system, which operates efficiently across all lines.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente leaves the field after the 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at Dallas, US, on 6/7. Photo: AP

Beyond their defensive records, Spain also equaled their longest unbeaten streak in national team history, reaching 35 consecutive matches, a feat previously achieved between 2007 and 2009. If De la Fuente's team remains unbeaten for three more matches, they will surpass Italy's record for the longest international unbeaten run.

The victory over Portugal carried additional historical significance as it marked the first time Spain won a World Cup match with a decisive goal in injury time. They had only achieved similar results twice in the Euros: Alfonso's goal against Yugoslavia at Euro 2000 and David Villa's against Sweden at Euro 2008.

Conversely, the defeat extended a peculiar statistic for Portugal coach Roberto Martinez. He became the seventh coach in World Cup history to lead a team against his home country in a knockout round and suffer a loss. The six previous instances involved Izidor Nagy, Karl Rappan, Didi, Ricardo La Volpe, Walid Regragui, and Vladimir Petkovic, all of whom also failed to defeat their native national teams.

Cristiano Ronaldo also endured a forgettable day, as the 41-year-old forward's eight World Cup losses now equal the tournament's all-time record, shared with Antonio Carbajal, Hong Myung-bo, Son Heung-min, and Mathew Leckie.

Furthermore, Ronaldo concluded his 2026 World Cup campaign with 17 shots but failed to create a single chance for his teammates. This marks the highest such tally since World Cup data began being fully recorded in 1966, surpassing previous records held by Alberto Garcia Aspe (15), Jerzy Gorgon (13), Katlego Mphela (13), and Denis Cheryshev (13).

In an ironic twist, Roberto Martinez had stated before the World Cup that he believed in numerology and considered the number 6 particularly lucky. Portugal's elimination on 6/7 came courtesy of a goal from Spain's number 6, Mikel Merino.

By Xuan Binh