Simon became the goalkeeper with the longest clean sheet streak in World Cup history, going 519 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal, following the match at SoFi Stadium, California on 2/7.

The Spanish goalkeeper broke the previous record of 517 minutes set by Italian legend Walter Zenga at the 1990 World Cup. Zenga's streak ended in the 67th minute of the semifinal match against Argentina.

Unai Simon (in blue) makes a save during Spain's 3-0 victory over Austria in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA on 2/7/2026. Photo: AP

Simon's record spans two World Cups. In this year's tournament, the 29-year-old goalkeeper maintained clean sheets through four matches against Cape Verde (0-0 draw), Arab Saudi (4-0), Uruguay (1-0), and Austria (3-0), totaling 360 minutes.

This achievement extends his 159-minute clean sheet streak from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Although Spain was eliminated by Morocco in a penalty shootout in the round of 16, Simon did not concede a goal during 120 minutes of regular and extra time play.

Before that, he also kept a clean sheet for the final 39 minutes of the 1-2 group stage loss to Japan, after Ao Tanaka scored the decisive goal in the 51st minute on 1/12/2022. That was the last time the goalkeeper conceded a goal in a World Cup.

Prior to setting the world record, Simon had already surpassed the 476-minute consecutive clean sheet milestone held by legend Iker Casillas. Casillas's record was established across the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Simon stated that individual milestones do not hold much significance in football. "This is a team sport", the 29-year-old goalkeeper said. "All 26 players work together to defend the goal. The key is the entire team's solidity, from the striker to me. I am just a representative of this achievement; the effort of the whole team is immense".

Nevertheless, the Spanish goalkeeper expressed hope of extending his clean sheet streak further to make the record more challenging to break. "I hope to continue having more minutes without conceding so that anyone who wants to break this record will face more difficulties. It would be good news if I do not concede in the next four matches", he stated.

Simon developed through the Bilbao youth academy and has spent his entire club career with the Basque team. He played for the youth and reserve teams before making his first-team debut in 2018, and has now made 264 appearances across all competitions.

At the national level, Simon debuted for Spain in 2020. He participated in Euro 2020, World Cup 2022, Euro 2024, and World Cup 2026. At Euro 2024, Simon started in all matches, only resting for the final group stage game, contributing significantly to Spain's championship title.

At World Cup 2026, he continues to hold the starting goalkeeper position, despite competition from David Raya (Arsenal) and Joan Garcia (Barca). Following the victory over Austria, Simon and his teammates will face Portugal or Croatia in the round of 16 on 6/7.

Hong Duy (according to beIN SPORTS, Marca)