A top-class defensive wall and record-breaking goalkeeping have propelled Spain into the World Cup history books. By beating arch-rivals Portugal 1-0 in a high-altitude clash on Monday, La Roja broke the World Cup record for most consecutive clean sheets, while custodian Unai Simón extended his historic streak without a point to 609 minutes.With their sixth consecutive tournament shutout, Spain broke a tie with Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006–10) to stand alone at the pinnacle of defensive excellence. This amazing run traces its roots back to 2022, which started immediately after a 2-1 defeat in the group stage in Japan. It survived an agonizing 0-0 draw against Morocco in Qatar, led by a surprising goalless opener against Cape Verde this edition, and has now been anchored by four consecutive shutout wins en route to the quarter-finals.At the heart of this defensive masterclass is the 29-year-old from Athletic Bilbao, Simone, a shooter. The Spanish No. 1 had already eclipsed Italian legend Walter Zenga’s 1990 benchmark of 517 minutes during Thursday’s clinical 3-0 demolition of Austria. Against Portugal, he guarded his fortress with absolute authority.While Simón arrived in Arlington having made just four saves all tournament, largely untested by an insulated backline that limited Austria to zero shots on target as they were forced to earn their historic breakthrough against Portugal. The Bilbao keeper produced two crucial saves in the first half, both denying the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo.The highlight of the night came when Joao Felix’s header took a heavy deflection off Simón’s shoulder, hurtling dangerously towards the net. Showing breathtaking athleticism, the Spaniard added in mid-air, reaching back with both hands to scoop up the ball in a spectacular diving move.Spain now march into the quarter-finals after six consecutive clean sheets. As they prepare to face the United States or Belgium in California, Luis de la Fuente’s men have shown that while the forwards win games, their historic defense is built to win the World Cup.