World Cup: The most saves in a single match after Eloy Room makes history for Curacao

On Saturday night in Kansas City, Ecuador were fancied by many to pick up three points against World Cup debutants Curacao, and they tried their best to achieve that, registering 29 shots and accumulating an expected goals close to three. 

However, they were unable to find a way past the Blue Wave’s goalkeeper Eloy Room, whose 15 saves secured a goalless draw and earned Curacao their first ever point at a World Cup.

The result represented a remarkable turnaround for the 37-year-old goalkeeper, who had conceded seven goals in a heavy defeat against Germany in their World Cup opener, but against Ecuador he produced one of the most memorable goalkeeping displays in the tournament's history. 

Room denied Enner Valencia on multiple occasions and continued to frustrate the South Americans throughout the match, finishing just one save short of the World Cup record for a single game. 

That record has stood since 2014 and belongs to another goalkeeper whose performance remains one of the most celebrated in the competition's history. However, Room now owns the record for most saves in a World Cup game after 90 minutes.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the goalkeepers who have recorded the highest save totals in a single World Cup match.

1. Tim Howard (USA) — 16 saves vs Belgium, 2014

© Iconsport / Zuma

The record remains with Tim Howard, who produced an outstanding display for the United States against Belgium in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 

Belgium registered 39 shots across 120 minutes, but Howard repeatedly kept his side in the contest with a series of saves throughout normal time and extra time.

The American goalkeeper had already made 11 saves by the end of the 90 minutes before further pressure arrived in extra time when Belgium eventually found a way through via Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, while Julian Green scored a late reply for the United States in a 2-1 defeat. 

Despite the result, Howard was named Man of the Match, and his performance remains the highest number of saves recorded by a goalkeeper in a World Cup match since FIFA began tracking the statistic in 1966, though that includes extra time.

2. Eloy Room (Curaçao) — 15 saves vs Ecuador, 2026

© Imago

Room's display against Ecuador ranks second on the all-time list and stands as the highest save total recorded within 90 minutes, given that Howard required extra time to reach 16 saves.

Facing a team that finished above Uruguay during South American qualifying, Room was required to make a number of difficult stops rather than routine saves, denying Valencia early in the contest and continuing to produce important interventions as Ecuador increased the pressure in the second half.

Curacao, a nation with a population of around 158,000, became the second team at this tournament to prevent Ecuador from scoring, and regardless of how their World Cup campaign unfolds from here, Room's performance will remain one of the standout individual displays of the competition.

3. Ramon Quiroga (Peru) — 14 saves vs Netherlands, 1978

© Iconsport / Michel Barrault / Onze

Before Howard and Room, Ramon Quiroga held a prominent place in World Cup goalkeeping history following his display against the Netherlands at the 1978 tournament in Argentina.

Quiroga, who was known for an adventurous style that often saw him leave his penalty area, made 14 saves to help Peru withstand sustained Dutch pressure, and his total remained the highest recorded at a World Cup for 36 years before Howard surpassed it in Brazil.

Given the quality of the Netherlands side he faced and the era in which he played, Quiroga's performance continues to be regarded as one of the most notable individual goalkeeping displays in the tournament's history.

4. Stoyan Yordanov (Bulgaria) — 12 saves vs Morocco, 1970

Before Quiroga's performance in 1978, Stoyan Yordanov's 12 saves against Morocco at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico represented one of the earliest significant save totals recorded after FIFA began tracking the statistic in 1966.

Although Bulgaria exited the competition during the group stage, Yordanov's display demonstrated the impact a goalkeeper can have even when a team is under sustained pressure. 

More than five decades later, his performance remains among the highest single-match save totals ever recorded at a World Cup.