New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) Unai Simon has described Spain’s FIFA World Cup glory as “madness” after the goalkeeper played a key role in La Roja’s march to the title for the first time in 16 years and stated that the sqaud will realise the “World Cup Madness” when they reach their home.

With seven clean sheets in eight matches, the 29-year-old shot-stopper was awarded the Golden Glove after maintaining a near-impenetrable wall at the back.

Spain have become world champions for the second time in their history, Luis de la Fuente’s men beating Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New York, New Jersey. Spain are the first team to be reigning champions of both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

“We’re still processing it,” Simon was quoted by Mundo Deportivo. “I didn’t feel any emotion when the referee blew the final whistle; it was more like: we have achieved it, we have achieved it. When we arrive in Spain we will realise the madness we have done.

“In such a long training camp, 50 days, it’s important to maintain the feeling and the balance between those who play more and those who play less, and in that respect, the manager is exceptional. He has managed all the players’ emotions very well.”

Simon’s seven clean sheets are the most ever registered in a single World Cup. Seven goalkeepers had managed five: the Netherlands’ Jan Jongbloed in 1974, Italy’s Walter Zenga in 1990, Brazil’s Claudio Taffarel in 1994, France’s Fabien Barthez in 1998, Germany’s Oliver Kahn in 2002, Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon in 2006 and Spain’s Iker Casillas in 2010.

Although he finished the tournament with the Golden Glove, Simon refused to take the credit for Spain’s defensive record. He added: “If my gloves during the World Cup could talk, they would say that they haven’t had to work as much as those of other goalkeepers’. Leaving seven clean sheets are numbers that are going to cost a lot to overcome and I don’t attribute the merit to myself but to my teammates. I am grateful to my teammates for the defensive level.

Spain are the first team to be reigning champions of both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

–IANS

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