Spain vs. Belgium: La Roja's watertight defence - and not Lamine Yamal - could win them the 2026 World Cup

Much of the pre-World Cup talk surrounding Spain focused on Lamine Yamal.

The 18-year-old sensation. The generational superstar. There had been some doubt surrounding his involvement in the 2026 tournament due to an injury that he suffered while representing Barcelona towards the end of last season, but he is present.

Yamal's form this summer has been mixed, managing just one goal and zero assists in five appearances, and he found it difficult to make his mark against Portugal in the last-16 stage of the competition last time out.

Such comments may seem harsh considering that the attacker is not 19 until July, but incredibly high standards have been set in the early stages of his career.

Yamal is yet to find his best form at 2026 World Cup

There were suggestions that Spain would not be able to win the 2026 World Cup unless Yamal was at his best, but it has been La Roja's incredible defence that has been the story of their tournament thus far, and it could carry them to glory.

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon now holds the record for the longest time without conceding a goal at a World Cup, which stands at 609 successive minutes in the competition.

David Raya had a glorious campaign at Arsenal and has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but Simon has shown this summer why he is Spain's number one with a series of commanding performances.

On paper, Spain's back four is far from elite - Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella, but all four have had excellent tournaments.

Cubarsi has been outstanding for Spain this summer

Cubarsi was not always at his best for Barcelona last season, but the 19-year-old has shown why he is one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the world.

Laporte's experience has been crucial, while Cucurella and Porro have been sensational in the full-back positions, with both enjoying standout tournaments.

The protection from Rodri has been immense, with the Manchester City midfielder showing signs of his best form, and Spain have still not conceded a single goal at this World Cup, keeping clean sheets against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Austria and Portugal; Belgium are next up in the quarter-finals.

Never has a nation won the World Cup without conceding a goal, with the best-ever defensive record belonging to France (1998), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010) - all three conceded just two goals during the entire tournament.

Spain are yet to concede a goal at 2026 World Cup

Spain are therefore chasing defensive history, but not too many predicted that would be the case this summer, with Yamal's form seen as the deciding factor in any success for the Spanish national team.

Should Luis de la Fuente's side overcome Belgium, then it could be France in the semi-finals, ahead of a final against potentially Argentina or England.

As a result, there will be tougher tests to come before the tournament ends, but Spain look incredibly strong from a defensive point of view, and they are in good shape to win a second World Cup trophy.