Forget Lamine Yamal and Pedri – why impenetrable Spain are built on a rock-solid defence

Head coach Luis de la Fuente acknowledged as much after the win over Portugal: “This (win) is the result and fruits of collective work – great defensive solidity, of course.

“There is solidarity, effort, sacrifice and everybody runs for one another. Every football idea is present very clearly, but what is beautiful is the attitude these footballers show, they are committed to the cause.”

It’s worth putting Spain’s clean sheet record into perspective. Before this tournament, Switzerland held the record for the most consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding a goal between 1994 and 2010. One of those matches, ironically, was a 1-0 opening game victory against eventual champions Spain in 2010.

That record is no more. With his clean sheet against Portugal, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon – whom De La Fuente has admirably stayed loyal to as his No 1, despite clamour for Arsenal’s David Raya, a spectator on the bench in North America – has not conceded a World Cup goal for 609 consecutive minutes. That’s five matches at this tournament, alongside their 0-0 draw and penalty shoot-out defeat in their last match against Morocco in Qatar.

“I feel proud of him,” De La Fuente said of the record. “I feel like he is a member of my family. I’m very happy for him.”

One astonishing record did go in Dallas on Monday: prior to Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half shot on target, Simon had not had a save to make in the first-half of his preceding four games this summer. It speaks to a rock-solid defensive unit in front of him which, in turn, is marshalled by the world’s most accomplished defensive midfielder in Rodri.

Three of the back-four are the first names on the teamsheet: left-back Marc Cucurella (a revelation for his country, compared to his topsy-turvy form for Chelsea over the past few years), Barcelona teenager Pau Cubarsi (who has replaced Robin Le Normand, a shock omission in this squad, from the Euro 2024 winning team) and centre-back partner Aymeric Laporte.

Tottenham’s Pedro Porro, meanwhile, looks to have cemented his spot at right-back in the last two matches over Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente, scoring against Austria and a constant threat in tandem with Lamine Yamal on the right-hand side versus Portugal.

With Rodri, so poised on the ball and destructive off the ball, it is easy to see why Spain have been so impenetrable so far this summer. La Roja keep the ball for the majority of their matches and, when they lose it, they press high – and fast. It suffocates the opposition, forcing them to play long and usually lose possession. That is what Belgium, who are off the back of their best performance of the tournament against the United States, are up against in Inglewood this evening.

“We have many qualities that will make our opponents think we’re the team to beat,” De La Fuente said. “We have a lot of confidence in ourselves, we are very sure of ourselves, and we’ll give our best until the very last moment. Our opponents will have to beat us.

“I think we have many advantages that will make our opponents think the same way.”

Again, some perspective on the scale of this Spain team. Their unbeaten streak currently stands at 35 competitive matches, dating back to a 2023 defeat to Scotland; some may remember Rodri’s salty post-match interview then.

If they win the World Cup, they’ll overtake the all-time international record of 37 matches, set by Roberto Mancini’s Euro-winning Italy squad in 2021. And with a blockbuster clash against France potentially in the offing in the semi-finals, they will have earned that record the hard way.

But more so than Yamal, Pedri or Dani Olmo, their dazzling creators in the attacking third, the foundation for that potential landmark and second World Cup triumph will be the five at the back and Rodri overseeing the defensive operation. Can Belgium attackers Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku (benched for the last game), Leonardo Trossard and Romelu Lukaku find a way through the rearguard and go where no team has gone before this summer? It feels… unlikely.