Spain and Austria will clash at SoFi Stadium on Thursday evening, vying for the opportunity to face either Portugal or Croatia in a thrilling last-16 matchup of the 2026 World Cup. The current European champions finished top of Group H, securing their spot against Das Team, who took second place in Group J, trailing only behind the reigning World Cup champions, Argentina. Spain was expected to advance easily as Group H winners, and they lived up to those expectations after a disappointing draw against Cape Verde in their opening match. They managed to collect seven points from a possible nine while maintaining a perfect defensive record, conceding no goals. La Roja confirmed their progression to the knockout stage by defeating Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay 1-0 in their final group match, with Alex Baena scoring the decisive goal. However, it was their defense that truly stood out. Spain has not only kept a 100% clean sheet record in North America but has also yet to allow a first-half shot on target. In their last five World Cup games, they have restricted opponents to no more than six shots, becoming one of only two teams since 1966 to achieve this feat, alongside Argentina in 2022. Their impressive unbeaten streak now extends to 34 matches across all competitions—excluding penalty shootouts—just one match shy of their national record of 35, achieved between 2007 and 2009, and closing in on the all-time record. Italy's Euro 2020 champions currently hold the longest unbeaten streak in men's international football at 37 matches, but Spain is heavily favored to narrow that gap on Thursday night. While Spain's match against Uruguay saw little action in terms of goals, Austria's final group game was a thrilling affair, where Ralf Rangnick's side narrowly secured their place in the last 32.