Unai Simón warns Portugal that Ronaldo is no longer his peak

In Dallas on Monday, Spain and Portugal meet in the World Cup Round of 16. Goalkeeper Unai Simón arrives with a 519‑minute unbeaten run, a new record for the tournament. Simón’s unbeaten streak now stands at 519 minutes, surpassing the previous benchmark of 517 minutes set by Walter Zenga in 1990. He highlighted that Cristiano Ronaldo "is not the same player he was six or seven years ago, at his peak". Simón added that his side must "try to keep him as far away from the box as possible". He explained that "in the box, he can create chances for himself on his own" and that Ronaldo "likes to stay around the penalty spot". Simón noted the Portuguese star’s ability to read those situations very well. He stressed the need to limit Ronaldo’s influence by keeping him at a distance.

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Reflecting on the Nations League final, Simón recalled facing an opponent that kept the same coach and a similar squad. He admitted that Spain "didn’t play very fluidly" in that match. He also pointed out that the opponent’s pressing was intense. Looking ahead, Simón called for focus on his own team beyond recent precedent. He urged that if Spain loses, it should be "because they are better than us and not because we didn’t perform to our level". The goalkeeper emphasized maintaining performance standards regardless of the opponent.