Curacao, a Caribbean island with a population smaller than most mid-sized American cities, just held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves, matching the single-match World Cup record set by Tim Howard back in 2014.

The match that made history

The Group E clash at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on June 20 was supposed to be a routine win for Ecuador. It was anything but.

Room’s 15-save performance didn’t just earn Curacao its first ever World Cup point. It tied a record that many thought would stand for a generation. Tim Howard’s legendary 16-save display against Belgium in 2014 had set the benchmark. Room matched it, and did so on a stage where Curacao had never…