Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first goalkeeper ever to record seven clean sheets in a single tournament. The Athletic Club shot-stopper reached the historic milestone after keeping Argentina at bay in Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory in the 2026 FIFA……
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first goalkeeper ever to record seven clean sheets in a single tournament.
The Athletic Club shot-stopper reached the historic milestone after keeping Argentina at bay in Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, capping off a remarkable campaign with yet another shutout.
Simón had already surpassed the previous record during Spain’s 2-0 semi-final win over France, where he registered his sixth clean sheet of the tournament. He then extended the benchmark in the final, setting a new standard that no goalkeeper has achieved in the competition’s 96-year history.
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Before Simón’s heroics, the record for the most clean sheets at a single World Cup was five. That feat had been jointly held by some of the game’s greatest goalkeepers, including Netherlands’ Jan Jongbloed (1974), Italy’s Walter Zenga (1990) and Gianluigi Buffon (2006), Brazil’s Cláudio Taffarel (1994), France’s Fabien Barthez (1998), Germany’s Oliver Kahn (2002), and Spain legend Iker Casillas, who led La Roja to their first World Cup triumph in 2010.
The 29-year-old played a pivotal role in Spain’s title-winning campaign, producing a series of assured displays and crucial saves as Luis de la Fuente’s side conceded only one goal throughout the tournament, finishing with one of the strongest defensive records ever seen at a World Cup.
In recognition of his outstanding performances, Simón was also presented with the Golden Glove award, honouring him as the tournament’s best goalkeeper after an unforgettable campaign that rewrote the record books.
