Spain have etched their name into the FIFA World Cup record books after becoming only the fourth nation to reach the tournament final while conceding just one goal.

La Roja achieved the milestone following their impressive 2-0 victory over France in Tuesday’s semi-final, securing a place in the 2026 World Cup final.

Spain’s only goal conceded throughout the tournament came in the quarter-final against Belgium. Apart from that solitary strike, Luis de la Fuente’s side has produced a series of disciplined defensive displays to reach the final.

The achievement places Spain alongside three other nations that accomplished the same feat in previous World Cups.

The Netherlands were the first team to reach a World Cup final after conceding only one goal during the tournament. Their lone goal against came from a penalty scored by Bulgaria during the group stage of the 1974 World Cup. However, the Dutch were beaten 2-1 by hosts West Germany in the final.

Brazil became the second nation to achieve the feat at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. The five-time world champions conceded just one goal, against Turkey, before defeating Germany 2-0 in the final to claim the trophy.

Italy joined the exclusive list four years later at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The Azzurri’s only goal conceded before the final was an own goal against the United States during the group stage. They went on to defeat France on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final to lift their fourth World Cup title.

Spain will now hope to emulate Brazil and Italy by turning their remarkable defensive record into World Cup glory when they face Argentina in Sunday’s final. Luis de la Fuente’s side will be aiming to win a second World Cup title after their historic triumph in South Africa in 2010.