Unai Simon became the goalkeeper with the longest clean-sheet streak in FIFA World Cup history after helping Spain defeat Austria 3-0 in their Round of 32 clash at the 2026 tournament on Thursday. The Spain No. 1 extended his run without conceding to 519 consecutive minutes, eclipsing Italy great Walter Zenga's previous record of 517 minutes, which had stood since the 1990 World Cup.
The record spans two editions of the tournament. Simon's streak began at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after Japan's Ao Tanaka scored in the 51st minute of Spain's final Group E match. The goalkeeper did not concede again, seeing out the remaining 39 minutes before keeping Morocco scoreless through 120 minutes in the Round of 16.
He has since extended the run at the 2026 tournament with four consecutive clean sheets against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria, taking his World Cup shutout streak to a record 519 consecutive minutes.
Spain secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Austria in Los Angeles, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro netting his first senior international goal as Luis de la Fuente's side advanced to the Round of 16. Simon's clean sheet also saw him surpass Iker Casillas for the longest World Cup clean-sheet streak by a Spanish goalkeeper.
Who Is Unai Simon?
Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain's Basque Country, Simon began his football journey with local side CD Aurrerá de Vitoria before joining Athletic Club's famed Lezama academy in 2011. After progressing through the club's youth system, he made his senior breakthrough in 2018 and has since established himself as Athletic's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.
At club level, Simon has spent his entire senior career with Athletic Club. He helped the Basque outfit end a 40-year wait for major silverware by winning the 2023-24 Copa del Rey, while his consistency between the posts earned him the 2023-24 Zamora Trophy, awarded to La Liga's best goalkeeper.
On the international stage, Simon has been a key figure in Spain's recent success. He was the first-choice goalkeeper as La Roja lifted UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League, and has now added his name to the FIFA World Cup record books with the longest clean-sheet streak by a goalkeeper in the tournament's history.
With Spain safely through to the Round of 16, Simon now has the opportunity to extend a World Cup record that had stood for more than three decades.
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