Ecuador 0 Curacao 0: Fans in tears as Caribbean minnows make history with first World Cup point to keep slim hopes alive

TINY Curacao battled to a 0-0 draw with Ecuador to earn the first World Cup point in the Caribbean island’s history. An outstanding performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room sealed the landmark result on Saturday at the Arrowhead in Kansas City. Six days after being humbled 7-1 by Germany on their World Cup debut, Curacao – the smallest nation ever to reach the finals with a population of about 156,000 – produced a resilient display to frustrate the South Americans and keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage. WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS Room, 37, was the standout figure, making 15 saves and just missing out on the World Cup record of 16 by American Tim Howard in 2014, as they withstood sustained pressure before earning a result that ranks among the finest in their sporting history. The draw that confirmed Germany as Group E winners was a blow for Ecuador – who arrived at the tournament on a 19-game unbeaten run. The same goes for their fans, who were left deflated as chances went begging, leaving them with a point from two games. Read More on Football Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back from last week’s drubbing by Germany with one of the finest performances by a goalkeeper in the competition’s history. The draw doesn’t eliminate either team from knockout play, but it put Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday with Curacao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York. Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs with their fanbase, dressed like the players in bright yellow shirts and filling the stadium to the brim. Most read in Sport There was only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curacao fans in a stadium whose capacity could house half of its island citizenry. Among those in the crowd were Kansas City Royals players Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Starling Marte. The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier in the day day, when Deniz Undav’s goal in stoppage time gave Germany a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave. Curacao made sure the pressure continued once play began. Throughout the first half, Dick Advocaat‘s team kept finding seams through the middle of the Ecuadorean defense, creating open looks at the goal. But each time, Curacao would end the runs with a sloppy pass or a shot wide of the net. Ecuador wasted their best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless. The relentless pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half and each time, Room was standing in the way. Chelsea star Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner-kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curacao finally cleared it. It was that kind of night for Room. And that kind of night for Ecuador. World Cup 2026 - all the info LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! This year’s World Cup is like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize. England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought. But footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have other plans in what will likely be their final World Cup appearance. SunSport have got everything you need for the huge tournament LATEST NEWS - Stunning Mexico fan goes viral for outrageous outfit - Miguel Almiron gets sent off for breaking Fifa rule - Emma Hayes breaks silence on ‘sexism’ storm - Kone set for surgery after horror World Cup injury KEY INFO - World Cup 2026 full match schedule including kick-off times - World Cup 2026 full squads - World Cup 2026 rule changes - World Cup 2026 prize money VIDEO - Proper Football Daily: Get all the expert analysis each morning - Team Talk – Tactics Exposed: Dive into the tactical talking points TIPS AND BETTING If you click a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.