Spain star sets World Cup record dating back to Italy 1990 tournament | OneFootball

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon had little to do during their 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32, but in the process, set a World Cup record. The Athletic Club goalkeeper has faced questions over his number one spot, but has been backed by manager Luis de la Fuente on multiple occasions.

Simon, 29, has been the number one since the time of Luis Enrique, but over the last few seasons there has been pressure put on him. In particular, David Raya and Joan Garcia have laid claim to his spot following their stellar performances, but de la Fuente has shown no appetite to change goalkeeper, with Simon an established leader with the national team.

Unai Simon sets World Cup record

Image via Cadena SER. Unai Simon sets the record.

On Thursday, Unai Simon went unbeaten for a fifth consecutive game, encompassing his four clean sheets at this tournament and La Roja’s final game in the 2022 tournament, which went to penalties following a 0-0 draw with Morocco. It took the number of consecutive minutes in which he has not been beaten to 520, surpassing the previous World Cup record of 518, set by Walter Zenga.

No mean feat, Zenga set the record behind an Italy defence that included Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, in their home tournament. As per Cadena Cope, they are just the third side to go five games without conceding, following that Italy team, and Switzerland.

Spain’s solid defence at the World Cup

Image via Li Muzi / Xinhua News / Profimedia

The defence has been the surprise strength for Spain so far, with Simon facing a remarkable six shots on target during his first four games. Over the course of those games, his side have also faced an expected goals against figure of just 0.4. A testament to the fact that La Roja have the best pressing statistics in the tournament, although stiffer tests are on the way in the shape of Portugal.