Spain top Group H as wing injuries stack up

Spain top Group H, Uruguay sent home

A clean sheet, three points, top spot. Spain beat Uruguay 1–0 on Saturday and won Group H with a perfect defensive record (1) (3). Alex Baena got the goal. Uruguay are out of the World Cup.

Unai Simón's streak now at 429 minutes

Your goalkeeper has not conceded a World Cup goal in 429 minutes. Unai Simón has kept three straight clean sheets, matching the Spanish record from the 2010 tournament in South Africa (2). Only Iker Casillas and Walter Zenga stand ahead of him in the all-time list. The unbeaten run across all official matches now sits at 34.

Wing crisis before the knockout stage

Lamine Yamal is not at 100 percent. Nico Williams could miss the round of 32. Yéremi Pino is seriously injured and already out (4). Three wingers, three problems. Luis de la Fuente goes into the knockout rounds with his most dangerous wide players either unavailable or diminished.

Ugarte stretchered off against Spain

Manuel Ugarte left the pitch on a stretcher during the Uruguay match on Saturday (5). The injury complicates Manchester United's summer plans, they had been looking to sell the midfielder. For Spain, a rival's misfortune, and a reminder of how quickly a tournament can turn.

Arsenal chasing a Spain midfielder

Arsenal are working to sign a Barcelona and Spain international midfielder this summer (6). No name confirmed yet, but the move would affect both club and national team dynamics heading into the post-World Cup window.

Fan reactions

The conversation among Spain fans after the Uruguay result is already drifting toward the knockout bracket. One question keeps surfacing: who can actually beat France? The consensus is that France look a level above most contenders, despite some acknowledging their goalkeeping situation as a potential weakness. Read the discussion here.