Eloy Room, Unemployed Goalkeeper, Makes World Cup History for Curaçao

In a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica in November 2024, Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made a bold statement. With the score 0-0 and a penalty awarded to Jamaica, Room told the referee, “It doesn’t matter if you give the penalty. I’ll save it anyway.” The decision was overturned after a VAR review, and Room never had to prove his words. That moment encapsulates the confidence and determination of a man who, on Saturday, set a new World Cup record.

Playing for Curaçao—a nation of 150,000 people—Room made 15 saves in regulation time against Ecuador in a 0-0 draw. This is the most saves by any goalkeeper in a World Cup match since the statistic was officially recorded in 1966. It equals Tim Howard’s 15 saves for the United States against Belgium in 2014, though Howard needed extra time. Room achieved it in 90 minutes, earning Curaçao their first ever point in a World Cup.

Room’s journey to this moment is unique. Born in the Netherlands to a Curaçaoan father, Lesley, he grew up hearing stories about the island. In 2015, former Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert, then coaching Curaçao, personally called Room to convince him to switch nationalities. Curaçao had only been a FIFA member since 2011, with little football infrastructure. Room agreed, becoming one of the first players to change allegiance. He later became a recruiter, convincing teammates like Jurgen Locadia to join the national team project.

For ten years, Room crossed the Atlantic for every camp, often without a club. After Vitesse went bankrupt and a short stint at Cercle Brugge ended, he was without a team for the final stretch of qualifying. He trained alone, using a personal trainer and goalkeeper coach, and played padel for reflexes. His last club match before the World Cup was a Belgian Cup game in December 2024, nearly a year before the Jamaica qualifier.

Against Ecuador, Room faced 28 shots. He saved efforts from Enner Valencia, Moisés Caicedo, and others. The stadium in Kansas City was filled mostly with Ecuadorian fans, but Curaçao’s small blue-clad contingent witnessed history. After the match, Ecuador’s goalkeeper embraced Room in respect.

The 15 saves in regulation stand as a World Cup record, surpassing the previous best of 13 by Peru’s Ramon Quiroga in 1978. For Room, who signed with Miami FC in December 2024 at age 36, the achievement is a testament to perseverance. “You don’t really realise the extent of what we did,” he said. “So much happened.”