Mansion Sports – Unai Simón revealed how comfortable Spain's defensive line made his job throughout their successful World Cup-winning campaign.

He admitted that he "did not have to work too hard" because La Roja conceded only one goal on their way to lifting the trophy for the first time in 16 years.

Simón Breaks a Record Thanks to an Outstanding Defense

Spain won their second World Cup title through an outstanding defensive performance that established a new record in the tournament.

La Roja marched to world glory by conceding only one goal throughout the tournament, breaking the previous record of two goals conceded jointly held by Spain's legendary 2010 team, Italy in 2006, and France in 1998.

This Spain side allowed only Belgium to score against them, in a 2-1 victory during the quarter-finals, before recording two consecutive clean sheets against teams featuring Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi—the two highest goalscorers in World Cup history—by defeating France and Argentina to secure the championship.

Golden Glove Winner Praises His Teammates

Although Simón officially received the Golden Glove award as the tournament's best goalkeeper, the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper used the opportunity to speak to the media after the match to direct all the praise toward his defensive line.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper highlighted the exceptional protection he received throughout the knockout stage in North America.

"If all the gloves I used throughout this tournament could speak, they would tell you that in the end they really did not have to work as hard as the gloves of the other goalkeepers," Simón told ESPN.

"I think that happened thanks to all my teammates, which allowed us to achieve all these victories."

Messi's Argentina Offered Very Little Threat in the Final

The striking statistical difference between the two finalists emphasized Spain's complete dominance throughout the match.

While Simón claimed the highest individual honor for a goalkeeper after making only 14 saves throughout the tournament, Argentina's Emiliano Martínez was forced into an exhausting performance by making 11 saves on Sunday alone to keep his team's hopes alive.

Spain's attack relentlessly bombarded Argentina's penalty area, holding a commanding advantage in shots with a margin of 20 to 2.

Lionel Scaloni's visibly frustrated squad struggled to create opportunities in the final third and did not manage to register their first shot of the match until the closing stages of the first half of extra time.

A Historic Era Under De la Fuente

Spain's triumph in New Jersey completed an extraordinary collection of three titles under De la Fuente, who has now delivered the 2023 UEFA Nations League, UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2026 World Cup in less than four years since taking charge of the team.

The achievement also made him the oldest head coach in history to win the World Cup.

The final victory over Argentina also extended Spain's unbeaten run to 38 matches since March 2024.

De la Fuente's triumph at UEFA Euro 2024 had already set a record of its own, with Spain winning all seven of their matches in Germany before defeating England in the final.

That dominance continued into this summer's World Cup, as De la Fuente further cemented his position as one of the greatest head coaches in the history of the Spain national team.