The current edition of the 2026 World Cup witnessed a good scoring rate, but keeping a clean sheet has become like a "rare currency", amid the competing teams' rush to try to score goals and secure the win.
Throughout the ongoing World Cup, only the Mexican and Spanish teams succeeded in maintaining their complete defensive solidity, crossing the group stage and the first knockout round (round of 32) without their nets being shaken by any goals.
According to statistics from the International Federation of Football Association "FIFA", both teams imposed strict tactical discipline, creating the strongest defensive streak in the tournament and writing history with a unique defensive achievement.
The Spanish team began its journey with a complex test that ended in a goalless draw against Cape Verde, then the men of "La Roja" rose offensively in the second round of the World Cup by sweeping Saudi Arabia with a clean four-goal victory, amid offensive efficiency and defensive cohesion.
During the third round, the men of coach Luis de la Fuente faced the Uruguayan team and achieved a valuable victory against them with a clean goal, maintaining the top of Group Eight without conceding any goals.
With the crossing to the round of 32 in Los Angeles, the Matadors swept their Austrian counterpart with a clean three-goal victory, advancing the Spaniards to the round of 16 with 4 consecutive matches and completely clean sheets.
On the other side, the Mexican team exploited the home advantage and the crowd to launch the strongest defensive version in its modern history, and success began early with a victory in the opening match against South Africa by two goals to nil.
The North American team repeated its achievement by defeating South Korea with a clean goal, amid a remarkable performance by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, and at the end of the group stage, Mexico achieved a sweeping victory over the Czech Republic with a score of (3-0).
Moving to the round of 32, the "El Tri" battalion devoured the Ecuadorian guest by two goals to nil, securing the Mexicans a historic qualification to the round of 16 with nets that have not been shaken since the start of the tournament.
