Curacao Hold Ecuador to 0-0 Draw to Secure Historic First World Cup Point

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Curacao national football team played out a 0-0 draw against Ecuador in the second round of the World Cup group stage. The match took place in Kansas City, Missouri.

For the Curacao national team, which represents the country with the smallest population in the history of the world championships, this match was its second ever at the World Cup. In the opening round, Dick Advocaat's team suffered a heavy 1-7 defeat against Germany. The point gained in the game against Ecuador is the first in history for the island nation.

Following two rounds of matches, Germany leads the Group E standings alone with six points and has guaranteed its place in the knockout stage. Ivory Coast sits in second place with three points. Ecuador and Curacao have one point each and share third and fourth places, respectively.

The distribution of the remaining places for the next stage will be decided in the final round on 25 June 2026. On that day, Ecuador will face group leaders Germany, while Curacao will play against Ivory Coast. Under the regulations of the current tournament, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32. The final of the first-ever 48-team tournament is scheduled for 19 July 2026.