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When Portugal’s Bernardo Silva narrowly missed with his stoppage-time header against Spain on Monday, Spanish captain Rodri could not hold back his emotions. The midfielder shouted in celebration at his former Manchester City teammate, sparking an angry response from Silva. Later, having regained his composure, Rodri apologised in the mixed zone.

“I made a mistake,” Rodri admitted. “I celebrated when he missed – I apologised to him immediately.”

That missed chance not only confirmed Spain’s place in the World Cup quarter-finals in Los Angeles – where they had earlier crushed Austria in the round of 32 – but it also extended their remarkable defensive record. It is this defensive solidity, more than any attacking flair, that underpins Spain’s dominance on the global stage.

Following the victory over Portugal, head coach Luis de la Fuente summed it up perfectly: “This win is the result and fruit of collective work – great defensive solidity, of course.

“There is solidarity, effort, sacrifice, and everyone runs for one another. Every footballing idea is clear, but what truly stands out is the attitude of these players – they are fully committed to the cause.”

Spain’s clean sheet run deserves context. Before this World Cup, Switzerland held the record for most consecutive minutes without conceding at the tournament – a streak between 1994 and 2010 that included a 1-0 win over eventual champions Spain in 2010.

That record has now been surpassed. With his shutout against Portugal, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon – whom De la Fuente has staunchly trusted as his No. 1 despite calls for Arsenal’s David Raya, who has remained on the bench in North America – has now gone 609 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding. That total spans five matches in this tournament, plus the goalless draw and penalty defeat to Morocco in Qatar.

“I feel proud of him,” De la Fuente said of Simon. “He feels like part of my family. I’m very happy for him.”

Another remarkable run did end in Dallas, though. Before Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half attempt on target, Simon had not faced a single shot on goal in the first halves of his previous four matches this summer. That statistic highlights the strength of the defensive unit in front of him, anchored by Rodri – arguably the world’s finest defensive midfielder.

Three of Spain’s back four are now automatic starters: left-back Marc Cucurella, who has been a revelation compared to his inconsistent form at Chelsea; young Barcelona centre-half Pau Cubarsi, a surprise inclusion ahead of Robin Le Normand from the Euro 2024-winning squad; and his central partner Aymeric Laporte.

On the right flank, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro appears to have locked down the right-back role, edging out Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente. Porro scored against Austria and was a constant attacking threat alongside Lamine Yamal against Portugal.

With Rodri orchestrating play – composed in possession and relentless in defence – it’s clear why Spain have been so tough to beat this summer. La Roja dominate possession in nearly every game, and when they lose the ball, they press high and aggressively. Their intensity forces opponents into mistakes and long clearances that usually end in turnovers. Belgium, who arrive in Inglewood after their best display of the tournament against the United States, will need to find a way through this relentless press.

“We have many qualities that make our opponents believe we’re the team to beat,” De la Fuente declared. “We have great confidence in ourselves and will give everything until the final whistle. Our opponents will have to be at their very best to beat us.

“I think we have many strengths that will make our rivals think the same way.”

To put Spain’s achievement in perspective, their unbeaten run now stands at 35 competitive matches, stretching back to a 2023 loss to Scotland – a match remembered for Rodri’s fiery post-game comments.

If Spain go all the way and win the World Cup, they would surpass the all-time international record of 37 unbeaten games set by Roberto Mancini’s Italy in 2021. With a potential semi-final showdown against France looming, any extension of that streak will be well-earned.

Yet, beyond the attacking brilliance of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Dani Olmo, it is Spain’s back five – and Rodri’s commanding presence in front of them – that provide the foundation for this possible second World Cup triumph. The question now is whether Belgium’s attacking stars – Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku (who was benched in their last match), Leonardo Trossard, and Romelu Lukaku – can breach this wall of red. On current form, it seems highly improbable.