FIFA World Cup 2026: Unai Simon breaks Walter Zenga's shutout record as Spain storm into last 16
Los Angeles, July 3
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after setting a new record for the longest run without conceding a goal, leading La Roja into the last 16 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Austria.
According to Opta Jose, Simon has now gone 519 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding, surpassing the previous record of 517 minutes held by Italy's Walter Zenga.
The clean sheet against Austria was his fourth of the tournament and extended Spain's remarkable defensive streak to 595 minutes across five consecutive World Cup matches without letting in a goal.
Spain are yet to concede in the ongoing tournament, underlining their dominance at both ends of the pitch as they registered their first World Cup knockout-stage victory since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Although Simon's record grabbed the headlines, Spain's attacking quality ensured the achievement came with a comfortable win. Mikel Oyarzabal starred with a brace, while Pedro Porro scored his maiden international goal as Luis de la Fuente's side outclassed an Austrian team that struggled to contain Spain's relentless pressure.
Spain dictated possession from the outset, with Lamine Yamal and Aymeric Laporte threatening before Marc Cucurella had a goal ruled out following a controversial foul on goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. Austria survived several scares thanks to Schlager's fine saves, but the resistance finally broke before half-time when Cucurella picked out Oyarzabal, who calmly finished to hand Spain a deserved lead.
Austria briefly threatened after the restart, with substitute Sasa Kalajdzic heading narrowly over the bar, but Spain quickly regained control. Porro doubled the advantage with a well-taken header from Alex Baena's cross to effectively end the contest.
Yamal was denied by a goal-line clearance from David Alaba before Oyarzabal completed his brace in the closing stages, once again converting a precise delivery from Cucurella.
The victory extends Spain's unbeaten run to 14 matches and sends them into the Round of 16 brimming with confidence, where they will face the winners of Portugal versus Croatia.
For Austria, the defeat ended a memorable campaign that included their first World Cup knockout appearance since 1954, but Simon's record-breaking night ensured the spotlight firmly belonged to Spain's history-making goalkeeper.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Spain's tiki-taka is back! But let's be honest, Austria put up a good fight in the second half. Kalajdzic's header could have changed the game. For Indian fans watching at 3 AM, this was worth the sleep deprivation! 😅 Shame about Cucurella's disallowed goal though - that VAR decision was controversial.
Impressive stuff from Spain, but I'm not sure breaking Zenga's record means as much in modern football. Goalkeepers have more protection now. Still, Simon has been outstanding - his distribution is world-class. As a neutral, I'm enjoying this World Cup but miss seeing India qualify. Maybe in 2034? 🤞
As someone who follows La Liga, I've been saying Simon is world-class for years! But we need to talk about Austria - first knockout appearance since 1954! That's like India finally winning an Olympic gold in hockey again. Respect to them for making it this far. Football is growing everywhere, even in non-traditional nations. 🌍
Spain's unbeaten run is remarkable but let's not get carried away. Their group stage opponents were weak. Austria showed they can be vulnerable - that disallowed goal drama proves it. For Indian fans who love underdogs, Austria gave us something to cheer about. Still, excited to see if they can beat Portugal or Croatia next!
I'm just happy to see World Cup football back! As an Indian, I grew up watching matches at odd hours and dreaming of our national
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