Spain’s 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday night in Arlington was more than just a semifinal win. It was a statement of defensive dominance that no team in the history of the FIFA World Cup has ever made before. Spain kept their sixth clean sheet of the tournament, becoming the first nation in World Cup history to achieve the feat at a single edition.The numbers behind Tuesday’s performance are equally extraordinary. France managed an xG of just 0.3 across the entire 90 minutes, the lowest xG figure faced by any team in a World Cup semifinal since Brazil held Sweden to 0.1 at USA 1994. In other words, Spain made one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the world look almost completely harmless.Unai Simón, who had already broken Walter Zenga’s record for the longest clean-sheet streak in World Cup history during the group stage and knockout rounds, barely had a meaningful save to make all evening. The defensive unit in front of him, anchored by Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte, with Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro providing additional cover was faultless from first whistle to last.Seven matches. Six clean sheets. just one goal conceded across the entire tournament, across 540 minutes of World Cup football plus extra time against Belgium in the quarterfinal.The last team to come close to this level of defensive dominance at a World Cup was France themselves in 1998, when they conceded just two goals en route to lifting the trophy, both in the final.Spain now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New York. Argentina have Lionel Messi. England have Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Both possess the attacking firepower to trouble any defence on the planet. But no defence on this planet, right now, is better than Spain’s. The record books confirm it. Six clean sheets. History made. One game left.
