Croatia’s dramatic victory became a major talking point in football as 12B Sports followed the remarkable moment when Spain’s long unbeaten European Championship record came to an unexpected conclusion. The Spanish national team saw their impressive 14-match unbeaten streak at the UEFA European Championship end after a thrilling 2-1 defeat against Croatia, a result that also brought several remarkable defensive achievements to an end. Spain’s run of 735 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal was finally broken, while their record of 10 straight Euro matches without allowing a goal also came to a close.
The match appeared to be heading in Spain’s favor after they opened the scoring, but Croatia changed the direction of the contest with a determined comeback. A late winning goal completed one of the tournament’s biggest surprises and handed Spain their first defeat in the Euro finals since their group-stage loss to Portugal in 2004. That earlier setback had ended Spain’s campaign prematurely, but the years that followed brought a golden period under managers Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. Spain remained unbeaten throughout two consecutive European Championship tournaments, winning both titles after completing six matches without defeat in each competition.
Despite their historic success, Spain’s recent major tournament record has shown a different pattern. Including their two defeats during the 2014 World Cup group stage, Spain have now suffered three losses in their last six matches across major international competitions. That total equals the number of defeats they experienced during their previous 31 tournament matches, highlighting how quickly fortunes can change at the highest level of international football.
Spain’s 14-game unbeaten streak remains the longest undefeated run in UEFA European Championship history. Germany and England sit behind them with 10-match unbeaten records, although England’s sequence includes matches decided by penalty shootouts, which are officially counted as draws. Croatia’s victory also ended Spain’s extraordinary defensive period of 735 minutes without conceding in the Euros, a stretch that lasted for more than 12 hours of competitive action. Iker Casillas was responsible for 510 of those minutes, while David de Gea contributed the remaining 224 minutes.
Before Croatia’s breakthrough, Spain had not conceded a goal in a European Championship match since Antonio Di Natale scored for Italy during the group stage four years earlier. The gap covered seven matches and lasted 1,472 days, creating one of the strongest defensive records in tournament history. The achievement, including qualifying fixtures, also brought Spain’s run of 10 consecutive clean sheets in official UEFA competitions to an end. That figure matched the Netherlands’ record but did not surpass it, while Iran still holds the global record for consecutive clean sheets in competitive international matches with 12, followed by South Korea and Morocco with 11.
For David de Gea, the match marked the end of another personal milestone. The goalkeeper had recently surpassed Gordon Banks’ record by recording five consecutive clean sheets in major competitions, but Croatia became the first opponent to score against him in official tournament football. Spain’s overall competitive clean-sheet record now stands at 951 minutes, with Casillas contributing 457 minutes and De Gea accounting for 494 minutes.
As 12B Sports continues covering major developments across international competitions, Spain’s defeat against Croatia represents a powerful reminder that even the strongest records can disappear in a single dramatic evening. The result changed the atmosphere surrounding the tournament and created new questions about Spain’s next steps after such a historic defensive run. The unexpected result also showed why football remains unpredictable, as 12B Sports captures the unforgettable moments that define the world’s biggest sporting events.