​It’s the one obstacle five teams in the 2026 World Cup have failed to overcome, and it’s the challenge Belgium now must confront: how do you score against Spain? The European powerhouse has essentially built a brick wall in front of its net, standing as the only side to have yet to concede a goal in the tournament. That’s five games, more than 450 minutes, with opponents unable to celebrate a score against them. If that sounds unbelievable, that’s because it is. The only other team to go without allowing a goal in a World Cup was Switzerland in 2006, but the Swiss played just four matches. No champion in the history of the tournament has lifted the trophy without surrendering a goal, and Spain sits more than halfway there, just three wins away from achieving that feat.
Inside the stadium before the round of 16 clash between Portugal and Spain in Dallas, the scene underscored Spain’s pursuit of perfection. For Belgium, the task ahead remains formidable. Yet if any team can crack the code, it’s the Red Devils. “As far as we see it, I think that we need to play a perfect match,” said Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, voicing a belief that even a near-flawless performance might be their only path to success.
Spain’s defensive discipline begins with goalkeeper Unai Simón, who is crafting a historic World Cup run. Since the 2022 World Cup, he has gone 609 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal. Spain is also the first team in World Cup history to post six straight clean sheets. A closer look, however, reveals that Simón hasn’t faced a staggering number of shots. In five matches this year, opponents have registered 29 shots, but only five have been on target. That is the fewest shots on goal against any team in the tournament. The reduction in danger is reciprocated by Spain’s own attacking efficiency: the team has dominated possession in every match and boasts a 91% pass accuracy, tied with Argentina for the best mark at the World Cup. That precision translates into sustained pressure and repeated shooting opportunities, preventing the opposition from finding a way through.
Much of the credit for that reliability goes to the rest of the players on the pitch, but Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, is quick to insist that the foundation begins with his goalkeeper. “A solid goalkeeper keeps you at ease. It gives you many solutions that you’ll need for the game,” he said. “They give us all we need for the defensive and also for the attacking phases.”
If Spain’s defense has resembled an indestructible barrier, Belgium is facing a counterforce of equal magnitude. After a hesitant opening to the World Cup, the Red Devils have surged as one of the tournament’s most potent offenses, tallying 12 goals across their last three matches. Opponents are growing increasingly flustered as they attempt to form a plan to contain this attack. For Belgium, the challenge now is immense: translate that offensive momentum into a breakthrough against a steel-curtained Spain, and find a way to breach a defense that has yet to yield a single goal in this World Cup. It’s a tall order, but the Red Devils will take the challenge head-on, seeking that perfect performance that could finally tilt the balance and deliver a result that could define their campaign.