Ecuador wasn’t able to beat Curacao so the question is clear: are the teams fully eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, or is there still a glimpse of hope? After all, both were coming off a loss.
Both Ecuador and Curacao have one point and need a win in their final match to have any realistic chance of advancing to the next round. Both teams are now below Germany (6pts), and Ivory Coast (3pts) in the Group E standings.
Hence, both are still alive, but their lifeline is in a dire situation. However, the result is historic for Curacao, as it is its first point in World Cup history. For Ecuador, it’s as disappointing of a result as it gets.
The tie between Ecuador and Curacao is hard to believe
Ecuador was just absolutely superior in every single statistic except for the one that matters the most: goals scored. Curacao, thanks in large part to its goalkeeper Eloy Room, managed to keep the boat afloat and keep a clean sheet.
37-year-old Eloy Room makes 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 saves to deny Ecuador and earn Curaçao their first World Cup point 🇨🇼
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 21, 2026
Only Tim Howard has made more saves in a World Cup game. pic.twitter.com/Vki1b6lWod
Ecuador had 63% of possession compared to Curacao’s 26% (11% in contest). But where the difference is made huge is in the attempts at goal. Ecuador had 28 total attempts, 15 of them on target and 20 of them inside Curacao’s penalty area. Curacao just had 10 attempts and only three on target.
Curacao’s GK made history vs. Ecuador
Per OptaJoe, Eloy Room’s 15 saves vs. Ecuador are the most on record (since 1966) by any goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup game that didn’t feature any extra time. In fact, overall is the second-most in World Cup history.
Only USA’s Tim Howard is above him. Howard did it against Belgium in 2014, though the match went into extra time, so Howard had 30 more minutes of action. Also, USA ended up losing that match, while Room helped Curacao avoid defeat.
