Make 'Room' For the Hero! Curacao Make World Cup History With Ecuador Stalemate

Published 21 June 2026 · sports

Make 'Room' For the Hero! Curacao Make World Cup History With Ecuador Stalemate Published By, Last Updated: June 21, 2026, 08:36 IST Eloy Room made

Make 'Room' For the Hero! Curacao Make World Cup History With Ecuador Stalemate Published By, Last Updated: June 21, 2026, 08:36 IST Eloy Room made a record 15 saves as Curacao secured their first-ever World Cup point, holding Ecuador 0-0 and keeping their unlikely knockout hopes alive. Rapid Read Curacao's man of the hour, Eloy Room (AP) Curacao’s World Cup dream is still alive, and they have goalkeeper Eloy Room to thank for it. The veteran shot-stopper produced one of the greatest goalkeeping performances in FIFA World Cup history as Curacao held Ecuador to a remarkable 0-0 draw in Kansas City, earning the nation’s first-ever point at the tournament. Room finished with an astonishing 15 saves, the most recorded by a goalkeeper in a 90-minute World Cup match since data collection began in 1966. Time and again, the Curacao captain stood firm as Ecuador threw everything at him in search of a winner.

For a nation of just 158,000 people, the result was monumental. The draw also represented a stunning response to Curacao’s humbling 7-1 defeat against Germany in their tournament opener. Dick Advocaat’s side arrived under pressure but showed resilience, discipline and plenty of courage to keep their knockout hopes alive. Curacao were not simply defending throughout. They created chances of their own, particularly in a breathtaking sequence just before the hour mark. After making another crucial save, Room launched a counterattack that nearly produced a famous goal. Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez, largely untroubled until then, suddenly found himself making three consecutive saves to deny Leandro Bacuna, Livano Comenencia and Jürgen Locadia. The match soon developed into a fascinating duel between Ecuador striker Enner Valencia and Room. Valencia repeatedly tested the Curacao goalkeeper, but Room refused to buckle.

His save at the far post in the 65th minute was his 10th of the evening, with several more following as Ecuador continued to pile on the pressure. Ecuador had opportunities to break through but lacked composure in front of goal. Piero Hincapié headed over from a promising position, while Valencia missed a golden chance in the 84th minute when he fired wide. There was late drama when Ecuador appealed for a penalty deep into stoppage time, but after a VAR check, the referee waved play on. When the final whistle arrived, Curacao celebrated like they had won the match. The result leaves Group E wide open heading into the final round of fixtures. Curacao can still qualify for the knockout rounds if they beat Ivory Coast and Germany defeat Ecuador. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.