Unai Simón equals Arconada’s 68 caps as Nico Williams ends year-long wait | OneFootball

Unai Simón drew level with Luis Miguel Arconada on 68 caps on Tuesday, while Nico Williams ended a year-long wait by adding Spain’s fourth and final goal in Seville.

El Correo notes that Luis de la Fuente is not minded to rotate his goalkeeper. Simón impressed at Wembley, then started at Sánchez Pizjuán, where Beljo’s header beat him. Williams played 25 minutes, linking with Pedri before a left-foot finish past Livakovic.

November marks six years since Simón took charge of Spain’s goal, ending David de Gea’s time. After Simón’s debut, De Gea did not feature again and finished on 45 caps, eighth in the list.

Simón’s 68 puts him third behind Andoni Zubizarreta, 126, and Iker Casillas, 167. To climb further he may need to keep the shirt for at least six more years, with 25-year-old Joan García pushing from the bench.

Since Luis Enrique backed him, Simón has missed eight matches through injury and eight by selection, only two competitive, the last at the Euros after top spot was secured.

De la Fuente made five changes from Wembley. Aymeric Laporte stayed on the bench as Dean Huijsen excelled on the left of defence, his first outing since a derby red. Marcos Llorente’s retirement prompted the call for the Netherlands-born defender.

Williams now has six goals in 38 caps, his first since June 2025 in a 5-4 Nations League semi-final against France. At Euro 2024 he scored twice, including in the final against England, and was named MVP.

Source: El Correo

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