Curaçao earns first World Cup point behind Room’s 15 saves

Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced one of the finest goalkeeping displays in World Cup history on Saturday, making 15 saves to hold Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City and earn the tiny Caribbean nation its first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup.

A Record-Equalling Performance

Room, 37, bounced back from conceding seven goals against Germany in Curaçao's opening match to deliver a performance for the ages. Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, unleashed 28 shots with 15 on target, yet could not beat Room. His 15-save haul equalled the record for the most saves in a World Cup match since the statistic was first officially tracked in 1966, matching Tim Howard's total for the United States against Belgium in 2014. According to The Athletic, FIFA credited Howard with 16 saves in that match, though data provider OPTA recorded it as 15, making the comparison a matter of some debate.aljazeera+2

Room's heroics made Curaçao, ranked 81st in the world and appearing in their first World Cup, the smallest nation ever to earn a point at the tournament. The result also secured their first clean sheet at a World Cup finals.espn+1

Group E Implications

The draw leaves Ecuador without a win in four World Cup matches and facing a difficult final group game against Germany, who clinched the group earlier on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast courtesy of Deniz Undav's stoppage-time winner. Curaçao remain in contention for the knockout stage heading into their final group match.foxnews+2

Sunday's Action: Spain Find Their Form

On Sunday, Spain responded to their goalless opening draw against Cape Verde by thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta, with teenager Lamine Yamal scoring just 10 minutes into his first World Cup start to spark the rout. The result gave Spain their first goal and first win of the 2026 tournament.aljazeera+1

"I can't even describe the feelings right now," Room told reporters after Saturday's match, according to ESPN. For a nation of fewer than 200,000 people, Curaçao's point against a South American powerhouse stands as one of the most remarkable defensive performances in modern World Cup history.espn