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Rabat – Eloy Room delivered one of the finest goalkeeping performances of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Curaçao held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw at Arrowhead Stadium.
The 37-year-old made 15 saves, according to Opta, matching the World Cup record set by former United States goalkeeper Tim Howard against Belgium in 2014.
For Curaçao, the result represented far more than one point.
The Caribbean nation, the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup, had suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat against Germany in its opening match.
Against Ecuador, however, Room produced a nearly perfect performance and helped his country recover from that difficult start.
After the final whistle, the goalkeeper described the match as the greatest night of his career.
He also joked that his performance deserved permanent recognition back home.
“I need a statue in Curaçao now,” he said during a post-match interview.
Room sets the tone with early save
Ecuador began the match aggressively and nearly took the lead inside the opening two minutes.
Veteran forward Enner Valencia found space close to goal, but Room reacted quickly and stopped his effort.
That early save gave Curaçao confidence and set the pattern for the rest of the match.
Ecuador continued to create chances, but Room remained composed. Many of his stops were comfortable, while others required sharp reactions and strong positioning.
One of his best saves came when Valencia directed a header toward the bottom corner.
What all 15 record making saves from Curaçao’s goal keeper, Eloy Room pic.twitter.com/3JHGITz5aU
— Tylerr (@tylerrtosin) June 21, 2026
Room moved quickly to his right and pushed the ball away, keeping Curaçao level during a period of heavy pressure.
As the match continued, Ecuador appeared increasingly frustrated.
Room dealt with shots from distance, attempts inside the penalty area and crosses aimed toward Valencia and the other Ecuadorian attackers.
Curaçao defended with discipline, but when the back line was beaten, their goalkeeper was always ready.
‘Almost the perfect game’
After the match, Room said he expected to remember the night for the rest of his life.
“I think in 40 years, I will still remember it,” he told reporters.
He explained that players often do not fully understand the importance of a moment while they are living through it.
Only later, he said, do they realize how special the achievement was.
“As a goalkeeper, it was almost the perfect game,” Room added.
🚨NOW: Beautiful scenes at the end of Curaçao match as the entire team hugged the keeper after he made 15 saves in their 0-0 draw pic.twitter.com/z3jbiqKTWU
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 21, 2026
It was difficult to identify anything he could have done better.
He did not make a clear mistake, controlled his penalty area and gave confidence to the defenders in front of him.
Opta credited Room with 15 saves, while FIFA’s official match statistics recorded 16.
Using Opta’s figure, he drew level with Howard, who made 15 saves during the United States’ last-16 defeat against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup.
Room admitted he was slightly disappointed not to break the record.
He joked that Howard may have been nervous while following the match because the Curaçao goalkeeper came so close to moving ahead of him.
A long road to the World Cup
Room’s performance carried extra meaning because of the difficult journey that brought him to the tournament.
Born in the Netherlands, he represented the country at the under-20 level before deciding to play for Curaçao, his father’s birthplace.
He joined the Curaçao national team project in 2015, when former Netherlands and Barcelona forward Patrick Kluivert became head coach.
At the time, playing in a World Cup with Curaçao seemed like an unrealistic dream.
The team was far down the FIFA ranking and faced a long qualification process through the early rounds of the CONCACAF region.
Room continued to travel between Europe and the Caribbean for international matches, even after Kluivert left the position.
“My dream was to play in the World Cup for Curaçao,” Room said.
He added that some people called him crazy for choosing Curaçao instead of continuing to pursue opportunities with the Netherlands.
More than a decade later, he believes the decision was justified.
Months without a club
Room’s professional career also faced uncertainty before the World Cup.
The goalkeeper previously played for Vitesse and PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Columbus Crew in the United States and Cercle Brugge in Belgium.
Cercle Brugge released him in the summer of 2025, leaving him without a club for several months.
Despite his experience, he struggled to find a new team and was forced to train alone in the Netherlands.
His main goal during that period was to remain ready for Curaçao’s World Cup qualification campaign.
Room eventually joined Miami FC in the second-tier USL Championship, allowing him to return to regular football before the tournament.
His first World Cup appearance ended painfully as Germany scored seven goals against Curaçao in Houston.
Room admitted that he took the defeat personally.
However, he responded against Ecuador with a performance that completely changed the mood surrounding the team.
Inspired by Cape Verde’s vozinha
Room said he had been encouraged by Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who produced an excellent display during his country’s draw with Spain.
His former Columbus Crew teammate Steven Moreira represents Cape Verde, and the two players remain in contact.
Room said the players support each other because both national teams represent small island countries competing against much larger football nations.
After seeing Vozinha make seven saves against Spain, Room believed he could produce a similar performance.
Against Ecuador, he went even further.
Royal celebration in the dressing room
The celebrations continued after the final whistle.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands attended the match before joining Curaçao’s players in the dressing room.
Curaçao has been an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010.
176 bin nüfuslu Karayipler ada devleti Curaçao ilk puanını aldı
🔺28 şut çekmesine rağmen Ekvador, Curaçao’nun savunmasını aşamadı ve karşılaşma 0-0 sona erdi.
🔺Maçın kahramanı, 37 yaşındaki Curaçao kalecisi Eloy Room oldu. Room, 15 kurtarışla bir Dünya Kupası maçında bir… pic.twitter.com/uZBV5qN0Mw
— serbestiyet (@serbestiyetweb) June 21, 2026
Room said the king and queen congratulated the team and even joined the players as they danced to music.
“That is our atmosphere,” he said. “There is a lot of dancing.”
Videos of the celebration quickly spread across social media.
Room also experienced a major rise in online attention. His Instagram following reportedly increased from around 100,000 before the game to more than 700,000 within hours.
Curaçao will now face Côte d’Ivoire in their final group match.
Another strong performance could give the smallest nation in World Cup history a chance to extend its remarkable journey into the knockout stage.
