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Curacao’s Eloy Room has become a national hero after delivering a stunning performance full of crucial saves that secured his country’s very first World Cup point.

The goalless draw against Ecuador owed everything to one man. But where does Room’s display rank among the finest goalkeeping performances ever witnessed?

Here’s our take on the greatest of all time.

“Hart was incredible,” said Luis Enrique. Gary Lineker described it as “a truly astonishing display of goalkeeping.” Lionel Messi called it “a phenomenon.”

Manchester City arrived at Camp Nou needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit against a Barcelona side that would eventually win the treble. Despite losing 1-0 in Spain, the scoreline barely reflected the story of that night.

Barcelona dominated the game, attempting 42 shots, 20 of which were on target. Yet only Ivan Rakitic managed to find the net in the 31st minute past Joe Hart.

It was arguably Hart’s best ever performance for City — perhaps even of his entire career. No matter what Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez or Neymar threw at him, the Englishman matched them save for save.

Few goalkeepers can boast of having denied Pele, but Gordon Banks’ stop against the Brazilian legend is often hailed as the greatest save ever made.

During the 1970 World Cup, even though England lost 1-0 to Brazil, the defining moment of the match belonged to the legendary English goalkeeper.

Carlos Alberto sent a pass down the wing to Jairzinho, who delivered a looping cross towards the back post. Pele met it with a powerful header seemingly destined for the corner, but Banks somehow reached a foot behind him to claw it away.

The 1986 European Cup final might appear uneventful with its 2-0 scoreline in favour of Steaua Bucharest, but that number came from the penalty shootout — a testament to Helmuth Duckadam’s brilliance.

After holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw through 120 minutes, Duckadam saved four consecutive penalties from the Catalans, securing Bucharest’s only major European trophy and earning himself the nickname “Hero of Seville.”

Making 15 saves in a single game is a remarkable feat. Doing so to secure your nation’s first-ever World Cup point elevates it to legendary status.

Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha turned back the clock with a heroic display against Spain in the 2026 World Cup, gaining millions of admirers online. Yet even that wasn’t enough to surpass Eloy Room’s performance in this tournament.

Eloy Room etched his name into Curacao’s football history after producing an astonishing number of saves in their goalless draw with Ecuador.

The world’s 23rd-ranked side unleashed 15 shots, generating an expected goals tally (xG) of 2.27, but Room stood firm to deny them all.

When Newcastle United hosted Manchester United at St James’ Park in a crucial title clash, it looked like a straightforward win for the home side. However, Peter Schmeichel had other plans.

The United goalkeeper faced a barrage of attempts, and although Les Ferdinand squandered a few chances, Schmeichel’s resilience proved unbreakable. At the other end, Eric Cantona’s strike sealed a vital victory for Manchester United.

Manuel Neuer’s career is filled with standout performances, but none defined him quite like his showing against Algeria in the 2014 World Cup.

Long before the “sweeper keeper” trend became popular, Neuer perfected the art. Against Algeria in the round of 16, he made as many crucial interventions outside the box as inside it.

Although Germany’s defence was finally breached in the 121st minute, the team had already secured a 2-1 lead by then.

Not every great goalkeeping effort ends in victory, but Tim Howard’s heroics for the USA against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup remain iconic.

Howard made an unparalleled 16 saves — still a World Cup record. One of the frustrated players was his Everton teammate Kevin Mirallas, who later said it was “the best [goalkeeping] performance I’ve ever seen.”

And to think, Howard was 35 years old at the time.

Among all the legendary performances, few carried as much weight as Petr Cech’s in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final.

Chelsea entered the match as massive underdogs against Bayern Munich, who were chasing a treble on their own turf. Yet the final turned into a story of two men — Didier Drogba and Petr Cech.

The Czech goalkeeper was brilliant throughout, but his defining moment came in extra time when he saved Arjen Robben’s penalty, keeping Chelsea alive before their eventual triumph.

Including a match where a goalkeeper conceded three might seem odd, but Rogerio Ceni’s showing against Universidad Catolica in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana was something special.

Facing South America’s top-ranked side while representing Sao Paulo, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, Ceni delivered a masterclass. Many of his saves defied belief — some from behind his own body, others fingertip touches over the bar.

His resilience helped Sao Paulo pull off a stunning upset to progress.

Following Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid in the 2018 final, their animosity towards the Spanish giants only deepened after the 2022 decider — largely because of Thibaut Courtois.

The Belgian goalkeeper produced an extraordinary display in a match Liverpool dominated. The Premier League side had 23 shots compared to Madrid’s three, yet it was Los Blancos who lifted the trophy.

Courtois was named Man of the Match after keeping out an xG of 2.19. Delivering such a performance on club football’s grandest stage? That’s the very definition of clutch.