World Cup 2026: Who is Eloy Room, Curaçao’s wall against Ecuador?

20.06.26 FT World Cup

Ecuador

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Curacao

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Eloy Room is fast becoming one of the standout figures of the 2026 World Cup. At 37, the Curaçao goalkeeper delivered an exceptional display against Ecuador, making 15 saves and earning his country a historic point (0-0).

After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match (1-7), Curaçao wasn’t expected to put up such resistance. But Room multiplied the saves, fending off relentless attacks and single-handedly keeping his team in the game during the hottest moments.

Trained in the Netherlands at NEC Nijmegen, with stints at Vitesse and PSV Eindhoven, he has nearly 190 Eredivisie appearances and several national titles. He also played in MLS with Columbus Crew and currently plays for Miami FC. Room made his international debut in 2015 and now boasts over 70 caps—a journey he sees as a personal achievement.

Many players only joined the Curaçao team during the last two qualifying rounds or the last four matches, so they didn’t experience the start of this journey. Sometimes, I try to explain to them what happened in those early years and how everything has improved. Tonight, I closed my eyes and thought about everything we’ve been through. I always believed we’d make it to the World Cup. And we’ve always loved representing the national team.

Today, Room symbolizes that progress: a team now capable of competing on football’s biggest stage.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

Related teams and leagues

Ecuador

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