The strikers got the headlines, but the goalkeepers stole the tournament. Paraguay's Orlando Gill made 28 saves, Curaçao's Eloy Room equalled a World Cup record, and Emi Martínez made 11 in the final alone.

This guide covers orlando gill: 28 saves and a quarter-final, eloy room: 16 saves against ecuador, the golden glove and the final, and the unsung heroes. Each section explains the topic with concrete examples, so you can use what you learn straight away.

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill finished the 2026 World Cup with 28 saves in five matches, more than any other goalkeeper at the tournament. His defining moment came in the round of 32 against Germany, when he saved Nick Woltemade's penalty in a shootout that sent Paraguay to the quarter-finals. Gill's total led the charts by a clear margin, and his performances turned a team expected to go home early into one of the stories of the tournament.

Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, 37 years old, made 15 saves in 90 minutes against Ecuador, with FIFA later counting a deflected cross to make it 16. That tally equalled Tim Howard's all-time World Cup record for saves in a single match, set over 120 minutes in a game the United States lost, while Room did it in 90 minutes and won. Ecuador had 28 shots and more than 3 expected goals, yet Room kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw that gave Curaçao, a nation of 150,000 people, its first ever World Cup point.

The Golden Glove went to Spain's Unai Simón, who conceded just one goal in eight matches on the way to the title, a different kind of excellence from the shot-stoppers. Argentina's Emiliano Martínez made 20 saves in the tournament, including 11 in the final against Spain, the most by any goalkeeper on record in a World Cup final. Gregor Kobel of Switzerland and Diogo Costa of Portugal finished with 20 saves each, while Jordan Pickford and Yassine Bounou had 19 each.

Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al-Owais made nine saves against Uruguay, the most by any goalkeeper in a single group game, and kept his team in a match they were expected to lose. Iran's Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves against Belgium, including a point-blank stop in the 85th minute, to earn a 0-0 draw. Cape Verde's Vozinha, 40 years old and one of the oldest players at the tournament, made seven saves against Spain and finished with 18, proving experience still counts when the pressure is highest.