Eloy Room, the Curaçao goalkeeper who trains with Key Biscayne Soccer Academy coach Cristian Blanco, finished second among all goalkeepers in saves at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 21, according to FIFA's final tournament statistics released Tuesday, July 21.

Only Paraguay's Orlando Gill, who recorded 28 saves, finished ahead of Room. Switzerland's Gregor Kobel and Portugal's Diogo Costa tied for third with 20 each.

Room, 37, has been working with Blanco at Florida International University's facilities since January. Blanco also serves as Miami FC's goalkeeper coach and founded the Key Biscayne Soccer Academy's goalkeeper program about eight years ago. He played for Newell's Old Boys in Argentina before moving into coaching.

The World Cup run put Room on the global stage. On Saturday, June 20, he set the all-time record for saves in regulation, stopping all 15 of Ecuador's shots on target to earn Curaçao a historic 0-0 draw at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. It was the first World Cup point ever for the Dutch Caribbean island nation of roughly 156,000 people, the smallest country to compete in the expanded 48-team tournament.

"I cried a little, but out of emotion," Blanco told the Islander News in early July, reacting to Room's record-setting performance. "When you see something very close to you, and it becomes a big story, I feel like I was part of the job with all the work we've put in."

Room earned FIFA's Man of the Match award after the Ecuador game. His Instagram following surged from about 100,000 to more than 1 million overnight. After the match, he visited FIU's Pitbull Stadium for a light workout and presented Blanco with an official Curaçao World Cup jersey.

After a 7-1 opening loss to Germany and the record-setting draw with Ecuador, Curaçao's tournament ended Thursday, June 25, with a 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast in Group E. But Room's 21 total saves across three matches cemented his place among the tournament's elite shot-stoppers.

Spain's Unai Simón won the Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper, recording seven clean sheets in eight matches en route to Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday's final.

Room plays for Miami FC in the USL Championship, which holds its home matches at FIU's Pitbull Stadium.