The Spain national team successfully secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Portugal by a narrow 1-0 score at the Dallas Stadium, Texas, on Tuesday (7/7) early morning WIB. The single winning goal that sent La Furia Roja to the last-eight phase was scored by substitute Mikel Merino in the 90+1 minute, capitalizing on an accurate through ball from Ferran Torres.
In addition to advancing to the next round, Spain also made history in the World Cup. The victory over Portugal makes Spain the first team to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive matches in World Cup history. This record stretches from the match against Morocco in the 2022 edition to their impressive run throughout this 2026 tournament.
The performance of Spain's defense under Luis de la Fuente has proven to be extremely solid. Throughout the 2026 World Cup, Unai Simon and his teammates have not conceded a single goal. This defensive dominance began with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, a 3-0 win against Austria in the round of 32, and the latest victory against Portugal.
Not only for the team, goalkeeper Unai Simon also recorded a fantastic individual achievement. With this record, Simon has surpassed the legendary record of Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga, who held the record of 517 minutes without conceding in the 1990 World Cup. Simon has now exceeded 519 minutes, cementing his position as one of the most consistently performing goalkeepers on the international stage.
