Simón Says It Was Spain’s Record Defense That Made the Goalkeeper’s Job So Easy in the World Cup

Spain's national football team secured a historic World Cup victory, marked by a record-breaking defensive performance that left their goalkeeper with minimal work. The team concluded the tournament with a 1-0 win in the final, achieving their seventh shutout, a new World Cup record.

Goalkeeper Unai Simón reflected on the team's defensive prowess, noting that his hands "didn't really have to work that hard as much as other keepers." Spain conceded only one goal throughout the entire competition, a stark contrast to previous championship teams. Their 2010 counterparts, who also won the World Cup, shared a previous record of allowing two goals.

“

My hands didn’t really have to work that hard as much as other keepers.

In the final match against Argentina, Spain's defense was exceptionally dominant, allowing the opposition just two shots, neither of which were on target. This defensive solidity was crucial in their path to victory, including shutting out teams featuring star players like Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi in the knockout stages.

Simón's exceptional performance, despite the limited saves required, earned him the Golden Glove award as the tournament's top goalkeeper. He attributed his relatively low save count to the collective effort of his teammates, emphasizing the strength of the entire Spanish squad.

“

If all of the gloves were able to speak that I have used throughout the entire tournament, what I think is that, at the end of the day, what they would be able to tell you, is that they didn’t have to really work as hard as other keepers. I think that this is due to all of my teammates, for us to have been able to have all of these wins.