KATHMANDU: In Sunday’s World Cup football match between Ecuador and Curaçao, Ecuador’s star forward Enner Valencia had a golden opportunity to score in just the third minute of the game. Striking the ball from about 10 yards out, a goal seemed almost guaranteed. Curaçao’s goalkeeper, Eloy Room, was the only man left to stop him.

However, Room pulled off an incredible save to avert the danger for Ecuador. Anticipating Valencia’s strike, he pushed the ball outside the post. This precise moment completely shifted the rhythm of the match.

Following that, Room shone continuously. He made 15 magnificent saves throughout the match, thwarting Ecuador’s relentless attacks and securing an historic, goalless draw for Curaçao. He is the first goalkeeper in the ongoing World Cup to record the highest number of saves within a 90-minute match.

Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room blocks the ball during the World Cup Group ‘E’ football match between Ecuador and Curaçao in Kansas City.

Previously, American goalkeeper Tim Howard delivered a similar performance, making 16 saves against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup. However, Howard failed to keep a clean sheet as he conceded a goal during extra time. Room, on the other hand, did not allow a single goal throughout the entire match.

“Tim Howard must be sitting at home watching my game and breaking into a sweat,” Room said with a laugh after the match. “They probably need to build a statue of me in Curaçao now!”

Football’s governing body, FIFA, has added 16 teams to this year’s World Cup. Along with the teams, the number of goalkeepers has also increased. According to the rules, each team must mandate at least three goalkeepers. Assuming most teams brought exactly three, there are around 144 goalkeepers in the tournament.

Yet, as the second round of group-stage matches is underway, goalkeepers who shine as brightly as Room can be counted on one hand. BBC analyst and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown remarked, “By the end of the match, you needed a calculator to count how many saves Room made. He was phenomenal. He looked like he stepped onto the pitch with the sole intention of keeping a clean sheet from the very start.”

Curaçao’s Jurien Gaari (second from right) heads the ball during a corner kick at the World Cup.

In world football, attacking players usually dominate the spotlight. Before the World Cup kicked off, players like Argentine captain Lionel Messi, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, French captain Kylian Mbappé, and Brazilian forwards Neymar Jr. and Vinícius Júnior were at the peak of public discussion.

It was natural for these names to be heavily discussed. This marks a record-equaling sixth World Cup for Messi and Ronaldo, and quite likely their last. Neymar’s return to the pitch after a long injury lay-off naturally generated buzz. For players like Mbappé and Vinícius, the footballing world was filled with anticipation about how they would perform.

In contrast, Mexico’s 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who is also playing in his sixth World Cup like Messi and Ronaldo, received relatively little attention. Similarly, Alisson Becker, who played a vital role in helping Liverpool win the Champions League, and Germany’s Manuel Neuer, who popularized the ‘sweeper-keeper’ style, barely made headlines.

The spotlight remained firmly on the forwards. Among them, Messi delivered an exceptional performance in his opening match, scoring a hat-trick against Algeria to guide Argentina to a 3-0 victory. With this, he tied Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.

Brazil’s legendary footballer Ronaldo Nazário, who scored 15 goals across his World Cup career, stated that the football world must now accept Messi as the greatest of all time. “Every time Messi steps onto the pitch, everything becomes historic and special. It is time for the world to accept the fact that he is the greatest of all time,” he told TyC Sports.

Even before Messi equaled the record, France captain Mbappé had already surpassed Pelé (12 goals) on the all-time World Cup top scorers list. At that moment, Messi trailed Mbappé by one goal. However, despite Mbappé scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal, his performance was somewhat overshadowed by Messi’s historic milestone. Nonetheless, both remained trending topics on social media all day.

Whether it is Vinícius Júnior, who has scored two goals in the current World Cup, or the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who has yet to find the net, they remain heavily discussed alongside Messi and Mbappé. Neymar, sidelined by injury, is also a constant topic of conversation on social media. Wide-ranging debates persist over how many goals they will score, whether they will perform, and who will lift the trophy.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha during the World Cup match at the Atlanta Stadium on June 15, 2026.

However, reality tells a different story. Goalkeepers often play the most decisive role in securing a championship. A single penalty save, a brilliant stop in the dying moments, or a fingertip tip-over above the crossbar can completely alter the course of an entire tournament.

In past World Cups, narratives typically revolved around goal-scoring strikers. A single goal, a header, or a sensational finish usually scripted the story of the match. The scene looks remarkably different in this 2026 edition. This time around, exceptional goalkeeping has emerged as the primary force keeping smaller nations competitive. As the speed, pressure, and opportunities in the game intensify, the ability to stop goals is dictating the final outcomes.

Underdog teams like Curaçao and Cape Verde have managed to snatch points by holding off football powerhouses. These results are not merely due to luck or overly defensive tactics. Instead, they are the product of outstanding performances by goalkeepers pulling off crucial, last-second saves.

The seeds sown by Vozinha

The seeds of this trend in the ongoing World Cup were sown by Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha (Josimar José Évora Dias). In their opening match, Cape Verde pulled off a massive upset by holding the powerful 2010 World Champions, Spain, to a goalless draw. This result secured an historic first World Cup point for Cape Verde, a nation participating in the tournament for the very first time.

The backbone of this achievement was their 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper, Vozinha. Setting a record by making his World Cup debut at the age of 40 years and 12 days, his performance rivaled that of any 22 or 24-year-old goalkeeper. He made seven crucial saves throughout the match, with Cape Verde fans celebrating each save as if their team had scored a goal.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (left) after the World Cup match between Spain and Cape Verde on June 15, 2026.

Although Spain predictably dominated possession, they failed to score against his sharp reflexes and confident saves. This resilience led the team to an historic draw.

Vozinha was visibly emotional after the match. He remarked, “I have dreamed of this exact moment my entire life. Many generations have waited for this opportunity.” Following this performance, his popularity skyrocketed. His Instagram follower count, which stood at around 46,000 before the match, surged to over 14.9 million, making him one of the most viral players of the World Cup.

With a population of approximately 500,000, Cape Verde is the third-smallest nation ever to play in a World Cup. However, Vozinha’s display against Spain proved that this team did not arrive just to participate, but to compete. “He was unbelievable at 40 years old. He lit up the match,” said former Scotland international Pat Nevin. Yet, the initial hype surrounding him has since quieted down.

Vozinha prefers not to focus on personal praise or social media buzz. Ahead of their upcoming match against Uruguay, he stated, “I don’t want to talk about that. We are here for football. We are here for the national team and the World Cup. I am grateful for everything, but please, let’s just talk about football.”