Curacao earned a historic 0-0 draw against Ecuador on the night between Saturday and Sunday in the 2026 World Cup, taking a point that could still help its bid to reach the knockout stage. The Caribbean side, the smallest national team ever to play in a World Cup, stunned Ecuador with stubborn defending and extraordinary goalkeeping.
The standout was 37-year-old goalkeeper Eloy Room, a player little known before this match and one who plays in the American second division. Room made 15 saves, including several outstanding stops, after having conceded seven goals against Germany just days earlier. His performance placed him second all-time for saves in a single World Cup match and first over 90 minutes.
Ecuador controlled the game and created the better chances, but its attack again failed to deliver. With players such as Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan and Enner Valencia, the team was expected to do far better than one goal in its two easier-looking group matches. Valencia was particularly wasteful, missing repeatedly against Room as Ecuador fell short despite dominating possession and territory.
Curacao also had a late attacking moment when Kenji Gorré came off the bench in the 75th minute and helped launch a dangerous counterattack, but the finish was lacking. Curacao now faces Ivory Coast in its final group match, with qualification to the knockout round still possible. Ecuador will need to spring a surprise against Germany if it wants any chance of advancing for only the second time in its history.
