Fewest goals allowed in a World Cup: Inside Spain's almost-perfect 2026 run filled with clean sheets

Spain won the World Cup how it played throughout the tournament: by shutting down the opponent's offense.

Spain's calling card in this World Cup has been goal prevention. Luis de la Fuente's squad scored 13 goals, including two against a French team that entered the semifinals as favorites to win the tournament, but defense got Spain into the final.

After another clean sheet against Argentina on Sunday, Spain's defense and goaltending will go down in World Cup history. With only one goal allowed through eight games, Spain made history in more ways than one at the 2026 World Cup.

Here's a look at the all-time leaderboard and where Spain ranks.

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Fewest goals allowed in a World Cup

Spain became the first team in World Cup history to allow just one goal across its run to the world championship. Spain allowed just two during its 2010 run, as did Italy in 2006 and France in 1998.

Here's the full leaderboard:

Spain could have topped the fewest goals allowed leaderboard even if it had allowed a goal on Sunday. While conceding one more goal would have put Spain even with the record, the additional game in the expanded format would give the Spanish a better goals allowed per game ratio than the previous three instances.

With some wiggle room, Spain instead claimed the record without leaving any doubts.

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How many goals has Spain allowed?

While scoring goals is the main objective, preventing goals is just as effective. Spain has mastered the art of defense at the 2026 World Cup, allowing just one goal through eight total matches.

Only Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere has scored against Spain, doing so with an equalizer in the first half of the quarterfinal matchup between the two sides. However, it wasn't enough for Belgium to advance, as Spain scored twice to secure the win.

Dating back to 2022, Spain went a record 609 World Cup minutes without conceding a goal before De Ketelaere ended the streak. That goal may have ended Spain's historic run, but it didn't derail the team's focus on winning the World Cup.

Spain World Cup results 2026

Spain outscored opponents 13-1 at the World Cup, with Cape Verde the only team to avoid a loss against the Spanish in this tournament.

A seventh clean sheet on Sunday put Spain in the history books, both as a champion and a remarkable goal-prevention team.