Ecuador v Curaçao: World Cup 2026 – live

From

6h ago

The final stats from this one are something to behold. Ecuador held possession 63% of the time. They generated 28 shots, 15 of which were on target. They completed 672 passes to Curaçao’s 238, crossed 27 times to Curaçao’s 3, and earned nine corners to Curaçao’s 0.

It didn’t matter. Eloy Room set a World Cup record with 15 saves in a 90 minute match, and the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup have now earned a point in the competition.

Read Ed Aarons’ report:

Key events

6h ago

Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

6h ago

Eloy Room sets single-game saves record

6h ago

Full time! Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

7h ago

Second half underway!

7h ago

Half-time! Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

8h ago

Kick-off

9h ago

The lineups are in!

10h ago

Preamble

Well, that’s all from me, folks! Thanks for following along with one of the more enthralling 0-0 draws you’re ever likely to see. Go hug the closest Curaçaoan, and enjoy the Guardian’s continuing top-class World Cup coverage.

Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

The final stats from this one are something to behold. Ecuador held possession 63% of the time. They generated 28 shots, 15 of which were on target. They completed 672 passes to Curaçao’s 238, crossed 27 times to Curaçao’s 3, and earned nine corners to Curaçao’s 0.

It didn’t matter. Eloy Room set a World Cup record with 15 saves in a 90 minute match, and the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup have now earned a point in the competition.

Read Ed Aarons’ report:

It sure does.

The world is learning all about Eloy Room right now, but his name will come as no surprise to longtime Concacaf watchers.

The record-setting goalkeeper was on a similar tear in the 2019 Gold Cup for his country, and in particular in a narrow 1-0 loss to the United States in the knockout round of that tournament.

That performance earned him a move to MLS with Columbus Crew, where he went on to make nearly 100 appearances.

Reader Chris writes in…

It’s just, like, my opinion, man … but that game was reason enough to justify the bigger tournament. An incredibly impressive, rugged performance. And Room really tied that rug together.

Totally agree. Curaçao has been a joy, even in their big loss last time out, and especially so tonight. This dude abides.

Reader Russell writes in…

Peter invokes a Lord of the Rings vibe re: Beccacece. Personally I can’t see anything other than a quintessential Byron Bay surfer dude who shuffles down to the beach-house cafe with his salty hair, sandals and sandy shins, leans a speargun up against the wall, flashes a winking smile and ends up effortlessly stealing the girl you’ve spent two days chatting up. Not saying this exact situation has happened to me or anything.

Yes Russell, this sounds totally fictional. And also I agree.

Reader Mark writes in…

Greetings from South America. As a long-term resident down here and having watched the qualifiers as usual, I can say this turgid Ecuador performance tonight is an accident that’s been waiting to happen. Home advantage in Quito (altitude and all that) flattered this Ecuador, this is a second rate vintage and what you’re seeing tonight is the same as the last two years. Painful stuff.

That would certainly make sense given what we’ve seen so far in this World Cup. Ecuador had plenty of chances in this game, but their finishing was awful (obviously).

Eloy Room sets single-game saves record

The Curaçao goalkeeper has set a record for most saves in a 90-minute match, with his 15 stops on Ecuador tonight.

The United States’ Tim Howard still holds the overall record, which is 16 over 120 minutes in the 2014 Round of 16 against Belgium.

Yeah, you read that right. Room only had to make one fewer save over 90 mins that Howard did over 120. Incredible.

Reader Stephen writes in…

There’s no one on the Curacao team who didn’t cover themselves in glory, even with that many yellow cards. And very honourable to join the ranks of awkward customers at this World Cup. Well done to them.

Completely agree. They were a joy to watch. Defended well, never fully gave up on attacking, and made their own luck in the right places too.

That was enthralling for a neutral, and probably incredibly painful if you’re an Ecuador fan. La Tricolor had chance after chance after chance, and what opportunities weren’t saved by Eloy Room were put wide or otherwise missed.

Room faced 29 shots and made 15 saves. That’s a men’s World Cup record for a 90-minute match.

Full time! Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

Wow. What an incredible performance from Curaçao. An incredible 15 saves from Eloy Room preserves their first World Cup point in their first trip to the tournament.

95 min: Appeals for a penalty by Caicedo and the crowd waved off. A deflected service in the box goes out for a corner.

90+2 min: The Curaçao fans in Kansas City are fully audible, waving their arms and willing their team toward what would be a historic result if it stays like this.

90+1 min: Kastaneer, who has only just come on the field, earns a yellow card for a couple overly physical challenges.

Extra time: Five minutes. Hold on to your butts.

90 min: Plata knifes through the Curaçao defense, but his effort is deflected out for a corner.

90 min: Crossbar! Preciado skims the top of the bar with a shot/cross from the right.

89 min: Jordy Caiccedo replaces John Yeboah for Ecuador.

88 mins: Ecuador looks desperate in every respect right now. The nerves are palpable through the TV screen; can’t imagine what it’s like in the building.

Curaçao subs: Roemeratoe replaces Comenencia, Kastaneer replaces Locadia

Ecuador substitution: Angelo Preciado replaces Alan Franco

84 min: Oh wow. HUGE missed chance from Enner Valencia, who is slipped through with a window to shoot but somehow puts his effort well wide of the near post.

83 min: Who is Eloy Room? Well he’s 37 years old and plays for Miami. No, not that one…

Miami FC. Of the USL Championship. The US second division.

Now he’s one save away from matching the men’s World Cup single-game record.

80 min: Another save from Room! This one off of an absolute rocket from way outside. That’s 15 saves, one away from matching Tim Howard’s single-game World Cup record.

79 min: Angulo is taken down on a charge at goal, and the crowd is livid that there was no foul call. The referee has swallowed his whistle on a few big occasions this half.

77 min: Eloy Room makes another save, his 14th. Two away from the record.

Curaçao substitutions: The excellent Tahith Chong, captain Leandro Bacuna, and Deveron Fonville exit. Kenji Gorre, Roshon Van Eijma, and Jearl Margaritha come on.

75 min: A chance! Juninho Bacuna finds a window at the top of the penalty box and rifles a left-footed shot that Galindez didn’t seem to know much about, but he nonetheless was able to block it.

74 min: Oh wow, Piero Hincapié had a free header on the six-yard box and put it over the bar. Ecuador are snakebitten.

73 min: Another Room save, this time from an effort way outside at his near post. That gives him 13 for the night. The World Cup record in a single game is 16, set by Tim Howard v Belgium in 2014, and that game had 30 minutes of extra-time.

70 min: We have a hydration break sub. Ecuador brings on Nilson Angulo in place of Pervis Estupiñan.

Reader Stephen writes in…

What are you thinking if you’re Dick Advocaat? There’s a potential first World Cup draw ever to be had for Curacao but if they drop back and try to draw breath as they clearly need to they could find themselves in hot water quickly.

I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I’d be surprised if they depart from their approach too much. I think going conservative at this point would be a mistake. The win is right there, and very possible for Curaçao, in my opinion.

Reader Tracy writes in…

Alex, is it safe to say that Eloy Room is playing a blinder, or something close to one?

Definitely. Blinder confirmed. His first handful of saves weren’t necessarily amazing but his last few have been.

68 min: Hydration break! Let’s catch our breaths. We might be on the verge of a special result here.

67 min: Tahith Chong has been excellent in this match. He’s constantly an outlet when Curaçao need to relieve pressure, which has been very often. His runs forward have generated most of his team’s scoring opportunities. It’s been really fun to watch.

66 min: And his 11th save, and his 12th! Room deflects two back-to-back efforts off a corner kick and clears his lines. Curaçao hanging on by a thread here!

65 min: Another chance for Ecuador! Valencia again, this time at the far post, but Room is right there to make his 10th save of the night.

64 min: Ecuador earn a corner … it’s flicked on for Caicedo but he can’t connect at the far post.