The World Cup this year has been full of amazing goalkeeping feats from Vozinha of Cabo Verde to Eloy Room of Curaçao. This World Cup has shown us not just great goal scorers but great goalkeepers.
These are five other times goalkeepers have shown heroic, record-breaking performances at a World Cup game.
Eloy Room of Curaçao vs Ecuador (2026) — 15 Saves
Image Credit: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
Six days after Curaçao were demolished 7-1 by Germany, many expected another heavy defeat.
Instead, Eloy Room produced a miracle.
Ecuador fired 28 shots and put 15 on target, but Room stopped every single one. The result was a historic 0-0 draw and Curaçao’s first-ever World Cup point. His 15 saves are the most ever in a World Cup match that ended after 90 minutes without a loss.
Tim Howard of the USA vs Belgium (2014) — 16 Saves
Image Credit: Getty Images
The king of World Cup goalkeeping performances.
Belgium threw everything at the USA in the Round of 16. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and company kept firing, but Tim Howard seemed impossible to beat. He made saves with his hands, feet, chest and even his knees.
The USA eventually lost 2-1 after extra time, but Howard’s 16 saves remain the all-time World Cup record. His display was so good that American fans jokingly wanted him appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Ramón Quiroga of Peru vs Netherlands (1978) — 13 Saves
Before Tim Howard or Eloy Room, Ramon was the benchmark.
The Dutch attacked Peru relentlessly, creating chance after chance, but Quiroga refused to crack. His 13 saves helped Peru earn a surprising 0-0 draw against one of the world’s strongest teams.
His record stood for 36 years before Howard finally broke it.
Mohamed Al-Deayea of Saudi Arabia vs Netherlands (1994) — 10 Saves
Saudi Arabia was facing the Netherlands, a team packed with stars and attacking firepower. On paper, it looked like a long evening, and it was, but not in the way many expected.
The legendary Saudi goalkeeper repeatedly denied the Dutch attack and almost stole a point for Saudi Arabia.
Despite the 1-0 defeat, his performance became one of the best by an Arab goalkeeper at a World Cup.
Keylor Navas of Costa Rica vs Greece (2014) — 9 Saves
Costa Rica had already shocked the world in 2014, but against Greece in the Round of 16, they were pushed to the limit. The match was tight, tense, and emotionally draining; every mistake could end the dream.
And then came Keylor Navas.
Greece kept coming forward, desperate to break Costa Rica down. Headers, long shots, scrappy rebounds, nothing got past him. Navas was everywhere: stretching, tipping, diving, commanding his box like a general under pressure.
Even when Costa Rica was reduced to 10 men, he didn’t panic. Instead, he kept them in the game long enough for them to reach extra time.
