Curacao, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup, held Ecuador to a goalless draw in Kansas City on Saturday, clinging to the first point of their campaign thanks to an extraordinary goalkeeping display from Eloy Room. The 37-year-old made 15 saves – the most by any goalkeeper in a 90-minute World Cup match since records began in 1966 – as Ecuador laid siege to his goal with 28 shots, 15 on target. Room thwarted chance after chance, starting with a point-blank deflection from Enner Valencia in the third minute and continuing with a series of reflex stops that left the South Americans exasperated.

Ecuador, ranked more than 50 places above the Caribbean islanders, enjoyed 63% possession and created 15 shots on target. Valencia, Moisés Caicedo, and Gonzalo Plata all drew outstanding interventions, and in one frantic sequence just before the hour mark Room made a triple save, clawing away a header and smothering the rebounds. Substitute Angelo Preciado struck the crossbar with a mishit cross in the dying minutes, but the Curacao defence, galvanised by Room’s calm, held firm. At the final whistle, players swarmed their goalkeeper, celebrating a point that reverberated far beyond the Arrowhead Stadium.

Earlier in Toronto, four-time champions Germany had to come from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1. Franck Kessie’s first-half goal gave the Elephants a shock lead, but substitute Deniz Undav’s brace, including a dramatic injury-time winner, secured the victory that guaranteed Germany top spot in Group E and a place in the round of 32. The result applied pressure on Ecuador, who needed a win to revive their hopes. Instead, they remain without a goal in two matches, having lost their opener 1-0 to Ivory Coast, and now face an uphill task to qualify.

For Curacao, a nation of barely 160,000 people playing at its first World Cup, the draw was a historic achievement. Room, born in the Netherlands and a veteran of 74 caps, had conceded seven goals against Germany in their debut. His redemption was witnessed by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who later joined the team in an emotional dressing-room celebration. “I think I need a statue in Curacao now,” Room joked afterwards, though his record-breaking performance – just one save shy of Tim Howard’s 16 in a match featuring extra time – was no laughing matter for Ecuador.

The result keeps all three teams behind Germany in contention. Ivory Coast sit second with three points, while Ecuador and Curacao have one each. In the final round of matches on Thursday, Ecuador must beat Germany and hope other results go their way; Curacao face Ivory Coast knowing that a victory could still deliver a fairy-tale place in the knockout stage. For a goalkeeper who once swapped shirts with Lionel Messi after a 7-0 defeat, the improbable suddenly feels tangible.