Eloy Room Put on a Heroic Performance, Curacao Hold Ecuador to a 0-0 Draw and Claim a Historic Point at the 2026 World Cup

Kansas City – Goalkeeper Eloy Room produced a masterclass performance to deny Ecuador victory, as Curacao held the South American representative to a 0-0 draw in the second fixture of 2026 World Cup Group E at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States, early Sunday (21/6/2026) WIB. This result also marks Curacao's very first point in their entire World Cup finals appearance history.

Room was the undisputed star of the match after registering 15 saves across the full 90 minutes. The 37-year-old shot-stopper repeatedly shut down Ecuador's clear goalscoring opportunities, finishing just one save away from the all-time World Cup record set by Tim Howard while playing for the United States in 2014.

This draw also confirmed Germany have secured first place in Group E, following their earlier 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, the battle for the remaining knockout stage qualification spot remains completely open ahead of the final group round matches.

Ecuador actually dominated proceedings from kickoff. Sebastian Beccacece's side controlled 63 percent of possession and applied constant pressure against Curacao's defence for the entire match. However this dominance could not be converted into goals, due to poor finishing in the final third and Eloy Room's outstanding form between the posts.

Ecuador created their first chance just three minutes into the game, when captain Enner Valencia fired an attempt on target. Room reacted quickly to pull off a vital save and keep his goal untouched.

Ecuador continued their pressure throughout the first half, building attacks through the movement of Moises Caicedo, John Yeboah, and Pervis Estupinan. Just before the half time break, Yeboah found himself completely unmarked right in front of goal, only for his strike to be denied once again by Room.

Deadlock Remained Intact At Half Time

Entering the second half, Ecuador increased their attacking intensity. Gonzalo Plata came extremely close to breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute, but once again failed to beat an in-form Room who put on a world class display all match.

Curacao, who spent most of the match in a defensive shape, occasionally threatened on fast counter attacks. One of their best chances came from Livano Comenencia, who unleashed a powerful long range effort that forced Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez into an important save.

Despite pinning Curacao deep inside their own half right up until the final whistle, Ecuador still could not find the winning goal. Additional clear opportunities from Enner Valencia and Piero Hincapie also ended without result.

Match statistics show Ecuador recorded over 25 total shot attempts, while Curacao only produced 10 efforts. However solid defensive organisation and Eloy Room's heroic performance allowed Curacao to return home with one valuable point.

This result is a historic milestone for Curacao. This Caribbean nation with a population of only around 156,000 people claimed their first ever World Cup point just days after suffering a heavy 1-7 opening defeat against Germany. Curacao also now stands as the smallest country ever to compete in a men's World Cup finals tournament.

For the final Group E matchday on Friday (26/6) WIB, Ecuador will face Germany, while Curacao will meet Ivory Coast in fixtures that will decide the tournament fate of both teams.

Team Lineups

Ecuador (3-5-2):
Hernan Galindez; Piero Hincapie, William Pacho, Alan Franco; Jordy Alcivar, Pervis Estupinan, Pedro Vite, Moises Caicedo, John Yeboah; Enner Valencia (Captain), Gonzalo Plata.

Head Coach: Sebastian Beccacece (Argentina)

Curacao (5-4-1):
Eloy Room; Joshua Brenet, Jurien Gaari, Armando Obispo, Sherel Floranus, Deveron Fonville; Tahith Chong, Livano Comenencia, Leandro Bacuna (Captain), Juninho Bacuna; Jurgen Locadia.

Head Coach: Dick Advocaat (Netherlands)