Unai Simon admits he 'didn't have to work that hard' during Spain's run to 2026 World Cup glory

Spain secured their second World Cup trophy in a defensive masterclass that rewrote the tournament's history books. La Roja marched to global glory by conceding a solitary, microscopic goal across the entire tournament, comfortably shattering the previous historical record of two goals allowed held jointly by the iconic 2010 Spanish side, Italy, in 2006, and the 1998 France team.

This latest Spain side allowed only Belgium to score against them, in a 2-1 quarter-final win, before keeping successive clean sheets against sides featuring Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi – the two leading scorers in World Cup history – in victories over France and Argentina to claim the title.

While Simon was formally presented with the Golden Glove award as the tournament's premier goalkeeper, the Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper used his post-match media availability to redirect all praise toward his backline. The 29-year-old goalkeeper highlighted the unparalleled protection he received throughout the gruelling knockout phases in North America.

"If all of the gloves were able to speak that I have used throughout the entire tournament, what they would tell you is that, at the end of the day, they didn't have to really work as hard as other keepers," Simon said to ESPN. "I think that this is due to all of my teammates for us to have been able to have all of these wins."

The stark statistical contrast between the two finalists underscored Spain's absolute territorial dominance. While Simón secured the tournament's top individual honour by registering a modest 14 total saves across the entire month, Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez was forced into an exhausting, record-breaking performance, racking up 11 individual saves on Sunday alone to keep his side alive.

Spain's attacking unit relentlessly bombarded the Argentine penalty box, outshooting their opponents by a staggering 20-2 margin. In fact, Lionel Scaloni's frustrated squad was completely starved of service in the final third, failing to record their very first shot of the match until deep into the first period of extra time.

Spain's triumph in New Jersey completed a remarkable treble under De la Fuente, who has now delivered the 2023 UEFA Nations League, Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup within less than four years of taking charge – a haul that made him the oldest coach in history to win a World Cup. The final victory over Argentina also extended Spain's unbeaten run to 38 matches, stretching back to March 2024.

De la Fuente's Euro 2024 triumph had already stood out as a tournament record in its own right, with Spain winning all seven of their matches in Germany before beating England in the final. That dominance carried through to this summer's World Cup, as De la Fuente cemented his place among the greatest coaches in the history of the national team.