KANSAS CITY (DA) — Curaçao earned its first point at a FIFA World Cup on Saturday, holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Group E at Kansas City Stadium behind a 15-save performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Room’s total was the most on record since 1966 in a World Cup match without extra time. He also made six saves in the first half, the highest first-half total in this edition of the tournament.
The result kept Curaçao in contention to advance to the knockout round heading into the final matchday of the group stage.
Room’s total also placed him in rare World Cup company. FIFA recorded Tim Howard with 16 saves in the United States’ 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, with 12 saves in regulation and four more in extra time. OPTA/Stats Perform recorded Howard’s total as 15.
Behind those marks are Ramon Quiroga, who made 14 saves for Peru against the Netherlands in 1978, and Stoyan Yordanov, who made 12 for Bulgaria against Morocco in 1970.
Room was under pressure early and often. He denied Enner Valencia from close range in the 3rd minute, stopped Valencia again in the 20th and pushed away a left-footed effort from John Yeboah in the 42nd to keep the match scoreless at halftime.
Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez also had to respond. In the 60th minute, he denied attempts from Leandro Bacuna, Livano Comenencia and Jürgen Locadia in a key sequence that kept Curaçao from breaking through.
Room’s second half was just as important. He saved a Valencia header in the 65th minute and kept out a Kevin Rodríguez header one minute later after a corner. Galíndez later stopped Juninho Bacuna in the 74th.
Room added another save on a long-range shot from Pedro Vite in the 80th, completing the clean sheet and one of the most important nights in Curaçao football history.
Curaçao became the second team in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in the match immediately after conceding 7 or more goals. Costa Rica was the first in 2022.
Curaçao also became the ninth CONCACAF nation to face a CONMEBOL opponent in the World Cup. Only two CONCACAF teams have avoided defeat in their first World Cup match against a South American side: the United States, which beat Paraguay 3-0 in 1930, and Curaçao, which drew Ecuador 0-0 on Saturday.
The Blue Wave did not concede in the opening 15 minutes, continuing a trend from nine of their last 10 matches across the 2026 World Cup and CONCACAF qualifying.
Curaçao also became the third CONCACAF nation to start five or more players age 32 or older in a World Cup match, joining Costa Rica, which did it twice in 2022, and the United States, which did it once in 2006 and once in 2014.
The Blue Wave will close Group E against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday at Philadelphia Stadium.