The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams, has produced some strong defending. So far, only Mexico and Spain have gone through without letting in a goal.
Mexico booked a place in the round of 16 after beating Ecuador 2-0 in Wednesday’s round of 32 clash. They will now face either England or DR Congo. Spain will take on Austria in their round of 32 match on Thursday.
Mexico
Mexico finished top of Group A with nine points after beating South Africa 2-0 on June 11, South Korea 1-0 on June 19, Czechia 3-0 on June 25, and Ecuador 2-0 on July 1.
It is the first time Mexico have won four straight matches in a single World Cup without conceding, reaching both the round of 32 and the round of 16.
Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel leads the clean sheet race after keeping four straight shutouts.
The win over South Africa was Mexico’s first-ever victory in a World Cup opening match. Their win over Ecuador was also their first knockout victory since 1986, when they last hosted the tournament.
Mexico have never gone beyond the World Cup quarter-finals, which they reached in 1970 and 1986. They have already matched their highest-ever World Cup goal tally of eight, first achieved in 1998.
Estadio Azteca has also remained a happy hunting ground. Mexico are now unbeaten there in 10 World Cup matches, with seven wins and three draws across three tournaments.
Spain
Spain topped Group H with seven points after beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 on June 21, drawing 0-0 with World Cup debutants Cape Verde on June 23, and edging Uruguay 1-0 on June 27.
For the first time, Spain completed a World Cup group stage without conceding, despite failing to win their opening match in four of their last five tournaments.
Goalkeeper Unai Simon has now gone 429 World Cup minutes without conceding, stretching back to Qatar 2022.
If Spain avoid conceding for at least 88 minutes against Austria at SoFi Stadium in California on Thursday, they will break or extend the World Cup record, while Simon will move from eighth to first place ahead of Walter Zenga and Peter Shilton.
Spain won their only World Cup title in South Africa in 2010, beating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time. They will also co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Morocco and Portugal during the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
