'We deserve to be here.' Fans savor Curaçao's scoreless World Cup draw vs. Ecuador.

Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star on Jun 20, 2026

Published in Soccer

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Swaying to “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and rocking to “Livin’ on a Prayer,” fans from the tiny island nation of Curaçao now have a soundtrack for their greatest sports moment.

Those songs blasted through the Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium public-address system in the moments after Curaçao put the finishing touches on an improbable 0-0 draw against Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup group-stage match.

Blue-clad fans danced at their seats, soaking in the Saturday night atmosphere as bright yellow-wearing fans of Ecuador filed past to the exits, some in tears. Ecuador now has a loss and a draw in this year’s tournament and has yet to score a goal.

Curaçao has only one goal, but it also now has a point and joins Ecuador in third place in Group E. The “Blue Wave” Caribbean team remains in the running to advance to the knockout round.

Curaçao superfan Brenton Balentien, aka “Captain Blue Face,” had a message to non-believers — and there were plenty after Curaçao dropped its opening game to Germany, 7-1.

“It’s something we’ve dreamed of,” Balentien said. “We worked hard to be here. We deserve to be here, and we showed the world today that’s the case.”

Curaçao clearly earned its result. Led by remarkable goal-tending by 37-year-old Eloy Room, the Blue Wave turned away Ecuador time after time. Room made 15 saves, the most in a World Cup record since such records were first recorded in 1966, according to ESPN.

After that 7-1 loss to Germany, Curaçao was answering questions about its place in the field. The lopsided defeat spoke loudly to those who believe that tourney’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams was folly. Too many teams, not enough quality.

The Blue Wave of Curaçao strongly objected to this notion, even before playing Ecuador.

“The first game for us was very emotional,” said Liane Virginia, wearing her Curacao gear for Saturday night’s game. “We lost, but it didn’t feel like losing.”

It felt like belonging. The smallest nation by size (171 square miles) and population — 158,000, or twice the size of Arrowhead Stadium’s capacity — stood with all fans as the national anthems for both teams played.

“To see the big flag, your flag, on the field, it’s everything you ever dreamed of,” said Luigi Virginia. “That game (against Germany) was a blowout, but at the end of the day, you’re proud.”

The World Cup’s expansion opened the door for Curaçao and other teams making their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan. Results have been mixed.

Saturday’s result in Kansas City — along with Cape Verde’s scoreless tie against Spain — may silence critics. Curaçao will prepare for its next match knowing it deserves its place in the field.

And who knows? Curaçao might be around a bit longer than most anticipated.