6 things about Curacao’s history-making goalkeeper Eloy Room

1. The journeyman who trained alone to chase a World Cup dream

Room’s career has taken him across Europe and the US.

He played for Dutch clubs Vitesse, Go Ahead Eagles and PSV Eindhoven, Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew and Belgian side Cercle Brugge before joining Miami FC in the USL Championship, the second tier of the US league system.

After leaving Cercle in July 2025, Room was clubless but remained determined to help Curacao secure qualification to the World Cup for the first time.

The 37-year-old kept himself in shape by training on his own.

In an interview with Goalkeeper.com, he said: “I train by myself with a personal trainer for gym work, and also on the field, I train with a goalkeeper coach.

“It’s obviously easier when you train with a club, but I had a goal in mind: I want to go to the World Cup. If I have a goal for myself, then I really give my all for it.”

His persistence paid off as Curacao, which has a population of about 156,000, secured qualification in November 2025, becoming the smallest country to feature at the World Cup.

2. Born in the Netherlands, but chose Curacao

Like the majority of the Curacao squad at the World Cup, Room was born in the Netherlands.

The custodian grew up in Nijmegen and his international future initially appeared to lie with the Dutch national team.

He represented the Netherlands at the Under-20 level once and established himself at Vitesse, where he made 189 appearances and won the KNVB Cup in 2017.

However, a phone call in 2015 from then Curacao coach Patrick Kluivert changed everything.

The former Oranje striker, himself connected to the island through his mother, convinced Room to embrace his Caribbean roots.

“The whole reason that I chose to play for Curacao is that I had a dream as a little kid to make it to the World Cup with Curacao,” Room told the FIFA website.

“We have a deep connection with the island, so I’m so happy to give something back to the people and put Curacao on the map.”

3. Not his first shutout-under-siege heroics

Room has the words La Pantera Negra, which translates to The Black Panther, on his left arm – a fitting nickname for a goalkeeper who displayed cat-like reflexes to deny Ecuador time and again.

His 15-save masterclass against Ecuador was not a one-off.

He had previously recorded 13 saves in a 1-0 win over Honduras at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, which was also Curacao’s first-ever victory at the tournament.

4. Padel is his secret training weapon

One of the keys to Room’s sharp reflexes is an unexpected sport: Padel.

The goalkeeper revealed in the interview with Goalkeeper.com that he regularly plays the fast-growing racket sport, which has helped in his performance between the sticks.

He said: “I play a lot of padel, it’s a good exercise for me because it’s full of reflexes and also cardio. So, I try to do all that stuff together and it works for me.”

5. ‘Dreams come true’ – getting a shirt and compliment from Lionel Messi

Despite suffering a 7-0 defeat by Argentina in a 2023 friendly, Room still walked away with a treasured memory.

After the match, he beat competition from the rest of his teammates to get Lionel Messi’s shirt, something he described as a dream come true.

Even better, Messi, who scored a hat-trick in the match, complimented him on his performance, telling Room that he had made some good saves.

After the game, Room had jokingly said: “I’m not going to take the jersey off, even to sleep. No one is taking it away from me.”

6. A footballer with a passion for fashion

Off the pitch, Room also has a love for fashion.

A keen streetwear enthusiast and sneaker collector, his style was recognised as he was crowned the winner of the 2023 Fashion Player Awards, highlighting a passion that extends far beyond the field.