Eloyi Room’s World Cup heroics spark huge social media surge

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced one of the standout performances of the 2026 World Cup, helping his team earn a first-ever point at the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. The 37-year-old made 15 saves, the most ever in a 90-minute World Cup match, after a game that began overnight Saturday to Sunday.

Room’s display came just days after Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha captivated the tournament with a scoreless draw against Spain and saw his Instagram following jump from 50,000 to nearly 15 million. Room entered the match with about 100,000 followers on Instagram, but immediately after the final whistle that number climbed to 500,000. By the time the article was written, the Miami FC goalkeeper, who plays in the U.S. second division, had passed 700,000 followers, with the total expected to keep rising as more fans discover his performance.

Javier Hernandez, known as Chicharito, praised Room on Fox Sports and said, “Room deserves all the attention. He was the man of the match.” Room was also officially named player of the match and quickly became a World Cup hero in the eyes of viewers.

The article also notes that the all-time World Cup saves record in a match that went to extra time belongs to former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made 16 saves against Belgium in 2014.