Spain sets World Cup record with 6th clean sheet in a row and keeper Simón extends scoreless mark

ARLINGTON: Texas, (Jul 7) (AP) Spain broke a World Cup record with its sixth consecutive clean sheet and goalkeeper Unai Simón extended his record shutout streak to 609 minutes after a 1-0 win over Portugal on Monday.

Spain broke its tie with Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006-10) for the most consecutive World Cup matches not allowing a goal. Spain’s streak began with a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 in 2022, when Morocco advanced after a penalty shootout.

There was also a surprising scoreless draw against Cape Verde to open group play in this tournament followed by four consecutive shutout victories to advance to the quarterfinals.