Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced one of the most remarkable individual performances in World Cup history on Saturday, making 15 saves to equal Tim Howard's all-time record and secure a 0-0 draw against Ecuador — earning the small Caribbean nation its first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup.

Ecuador came into the fixture as heavy favourites, yet Room stood firm throughout, denying the South American side again and again to leave the pitch with a share of the spoils. His tally of 15 saves matched the record Howard set for the United States during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

For Curaçao, a nation of fewer than 200,000 people, the result represents a landmark moment in their footballing history — a point that underlines just how far the island has come on the world stage.