Unai Simon: Compared to some other goalkeepers, I didn't have to exert too much effort.

After Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final to win the title, goalkeeper Unai Simón gave an interview to numerous media outlets in the mixed zone.

Hello, Unai, congratulations! How did you achieve this dream?

Actually, I was still taking it all in with me. When the game ended and the referee blew the final whistle, I didn't feel anything special. I just felt like, "We did it, we succeeded." I think that as my family members gradually came down from the stands and started telling us about their experiences, I'm sure that when we get back to Spain, we won't truly realize what an incredible feat we've just accomplished.

Hello Unai, congratulations! How are you feeling today? Today is the 50th day of training camp. Isn't the bond, synergy, and sense of unity you've built on the field the key to your success?

Yes, you see, when you participate in a competition like this, your goal is to stay focused for all 51 days. I think maintaining team cohesion is extremely important. Maintaining that feeling among everyone, maintaining mutual respect between players with more playing time and those with less. In this respect, I think the coach is absolutely outstanding; he's simply exceptional.

I think the coach is very good at managing all the players' emotions. I think that ultimately, on a tactical level, you only need to give four prerequisites for everyone to digest and cope with the game; but for 51 days, you have to be a team manager. In this respect, I think our coach has always been our leader and a role model for all of us around the clock.

Hello Unai, it's great to see your smile. Let me take you back to the match against Cape Verde and the mixed zone. Look how happy you are now, you know? You came out and said, "Regarding Cape Verde, we'll see in this World Cup. Keep everyone calm because this is just the beginning." And in the locker room, you were very calm about the whole process. Now look at where you are standing, in another mixed zone eight games later. Tell me about it.

Like I've told you all before, and you've asked me this more than once, I think it was just a gut feeling I had at the time. We were facing a team that knew exactly how to play both offensively and defensively. While they weren't as strong as some of the opponents we've faced in recent games, it's really hard to compete with a team that knows exactly what they're doing at all times.

I think we did something similar to what Cape Verde did. I think we were a team that maintained our identity throughout eight games, both offensively and defensively, regardless of good times or bad. And that was crucial to reaching the final and winning – maintaining that style, that level, that focus in all aspects for eight games, and I think that's what led to our victory. And, like I told you, we still need to process what we've achieved.

Please tell me two things: A match where you have such a huge advantage is actually very dangerous. Did you feel any strange sense of fear? Also, what does it feel like to become a world champion? Tell me about it.

Let me answer the second question first. No, like I told you before, I haven't really digested it yet, not completely. I believe that as the days go by, as time goes by, it will prove its worth, like all victories. I believe the passage of time will reveal the value of what you've achieved. And right now, I'm still slowly digesting and accepting it.

Regarding the first point, I think Argentina is our opponent. They have a good sense of pressure and intend to play long balls against us. That kind of control of the ball's trajectory is crucial for us. We must win those balls so they can't connect with Leo (Messi) and prevent Leo from orchestrating the attack.

Then, yes, the first half did stagnate a bit, because of the fear of making mistakes. Against a national team like Argentina, even one mistake can have dire consequences. I think we were a little afraid of making mistakes, which made the game less fluid. But that's a final; you often can't have that freedom in a final. Then in the second half, we slowly found our rhythm, and by the 70th minute, I think we had completely controlled the game.

First of all, congratulations! It's already 2:00 AM Spanish time, oh no, it's 2:30 AM, and there are still many people on the streets. All the squares are packed with people. As we can see, there's also a huge celebration party in Central Park. I wonder how you feel right now? What would you like to say to those fans?

My message is that I hope they enjoy it to the fullest, truly enjoy it all. We've waited a full 16 years to achieve something similar to what that generation in 2010 accomplished, and I hope they enjoy it, and that everyone appreciates and cherishes the hardship involved. And we know at all times that they are there for us.

Sometimes, in situations like this, when you think about all the people behind you, you can feel the pressure. But I think that all 26 of us here today, well, throughout this World Cup, we truly felt the support they gave us at every moment. I want to express my gratitude to them, thank them, and hope they enjoyed themselves as much as we did; they were also participants in this team's achievement.

Hello, first of all, congratulations! I noticed you're wearing your gloves. If these gloves could talk, what stories would they tell? And specifically for this tournament, what do they represent? Besides, now look at that other person; he's carrying something for you, right?

These gloves only saw the final match. Ultimately, if all the gloves I wore in this World Cup could speak, I think they would eventually tell you that they didn't work as hard as some other goalkeepers, but they did help me keep six or seven clean sheets—if I remember correctly.

So I think there's a set of statistics here that will be hard to break over time. And I won't attribute it to my personal performance; I owe it entirely to all my teammates, who made this unbeaten record of conceding only one goal possible. So I'm very proud and very grateful to all my teammates for allowing us to maintain such a high level of defense.

Good evening, congratulations! You mentioned that it has been 16 years since the South Africa World Cup, but we have only just experienced the 2023 UEFA Nations League and the 2024 European Championship. Right now, we seem to be in a dominant position with this national team, don't we?

Yes, and then we easily forget, as if none of that matters anymore. Together with Luis (De la Fuente), we won an Olympic silver medal, a UEFA Nations League silver medal, and another UEFA Nations League silver medal under Luis Enrique—if I remember correctly.

I think we've played in many finals, and I think the key to all tournaments is getting to the final and showing your best in it. Then, I think obviously—no, I'm convinced—nothing is greater than winning the World Cup. Sportingly, it can't compare to the European Championship, although that's historic; it can't compare to the Nations League, although that's very exciting. But winning the World Cup is unique. Like I told you, you have to wait 16 years, and I hope we only need to wait another four years to get another star. But for now, I think we have to enjoy the present and know exactly what we're going to do next.