Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has entered the record books after setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest clean-sheet streak in FIFA World Cup finals history.
The milestone came after Spain’s 3-0 victory over Australia secured a place in the Round of 16, with Simon extending his remarkable run to 519 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal on football’s biggest stage.
Simon Surpasses Walter Zenga’s Long-Standing Record
Simon eclipsed the previous record of 518 minutes, set by legendary Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga during the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Zenga’s streak had stood for more than three decades before ending in the 67th minute of Italy’s semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Guinness World Records confirmed Simon’s achievement on social media, stating:
“New record: Longest football (soccer) FIFA World Cup clean sheet. The longest time played in World Cup finals matches by a goalkeeper without conceding a goal is 519 minutes by Spain’s Unai Simon.”
Record Spans Two World Cups
Simon’s historic run stretches across the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During the 2026 tournament, he has kept clean sheets against:
- Cape Verde
- Saudi Arabia
- Uruguay
- Australia (Round of 32)
Those four matches account for 360 consecutive minutes without conceding.
The remaining 159 minutes came during Spain’s campaign at the 2022 World Cup.
Although Spain were knocked out by Morocco in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16, Simon did not concede during the full 120 minutes of that contest.
Last Goal Conceded Came Against Japan
The last player to beat Simon in a FIFA World Cup match was Ao Tanaka.
The Japanese midfielder scored the decisive goal in Spain’s group-stage defeat to Japan on December 1, 2022, finding the net in the 51st minute.
Since then, Simon has remained unbeaten across more than eight and a half hours of World Cup football.
Breaks Spanish Record Too
Before rewriting World Cup history, Simon had already become Spain’s most successful goalkeeper in terms of consecutive World Cup clean-sheet minutes.
He surpassed the previous Spanish record of 476 minutes, held by legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas, whose streak spanned the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
Spain will now hope Simon can continue his extraordinary run when they face Portugal in the Round of 16.