Before Spain had kicked a ball at this World Cup, one of the biggest talking points surrounding the squad wasn’t about the midfield, the attack or even the centre-backs.It was about the goalkeeper.David Raya had just completed another outstanding season with Arsenal. Joan Garcia had established himself as one of Europe’s brightest talents after an exceptional campaign in La Liga. Both had legitimate claims to become Spain’s No 1.Even Unai Simon, who plays his club football for Athletic Club, understood why the debate existed. He openly acknowledged the quality of his competitors and the seasons they had produced. From the outside, Spain appeared to have a genuine selection dilemma.Inside the camp, however, there was far less uncertainty.Luis de la Fuente never shared the public’s doubts.Before the tournament, Spain’s manager described himself as fortunate to have what he believed were “the three best goalkeepers in the world”. Yet despite having two outstanding alternatives, he never hinted Simon’s place was under threat. Instead, he consistently spoke about the qualities that made the 29-year-old fundamental to Spain’s identity, both in and out of possession.By the end of the tournament, that faith had been emphatically rewarded.On Sunday, Simon lifted the FIFA World Cup and the Golden Glove award after producing one of the standout goalkeeping performances of the summer.His seven clean sheets set a new men’s World Cup record, while his 91.7 per cent save percentage was the best of any goalkeeper in the competition.Spain’s No 1 also recorded a World Cup-record streak of 650 consecutive minutes without conceding before Belgium finally ended it in the quarter-final, while outperforming expected goals by 0.7 across the tournament.Spain’s one goal conceded across their eight games is also the fewest by any team in a World Cup-winning campaign.Simon makes a save against France (Photo: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP via Getty Images)Those numbers tell only part of the story.Simon’s greatest contribution wasn’t simply the saves he made, it was the situations he prevented from ever becoming shots in the first place.That ability to anticipate rather than react underpins almost every aspect of his game. It allows him to eliminate danger before it develops and shapes the way Spain attacks.Throughout this World Cup, Spain repeatedly invited pressure onto Simon before exploiting the spaces it created elsewhere on the pitch. It is a calculated strategy that demands complete trust in the player standing between the posts. Every time he receives possession, he is making a series of rapid decisions.Has the opposition committed enough numbers to play through the press? Is there a passing lane into midfield? Has the weak-side full-back become available? Or has the opposition pressed so aggressively that the better option is to bypass them altogether?His composure under pressure allows Spain to remain patient when many teams would simply clear their lines. Just as importantly, he gives Spain another way to play. While Spain are comfortable building patiently, his range of passing means opponents can never commit fully to the press. He understands when to continue inviting pressure and when to exploit the space behind it, possessing the vision and technique to turn a seemingly harmless phase of possession into a dangerous attack with a single pass.