An underdog nation with a population of 160,000 made history in consecutive World Cup matches! The team celebrated wildly, the goalkeeper knelt in awe, and the 78-year-old legendary coach shed tears.

Curacao, a World Cup newcomer, achieved a historic 0-0 draw against Ecuador in the second Group E match on June 21 Beijing time, earning their first ever point in the tournament and thus making history.

Prior to this World Cup, Curacao was not considered capable of producing any surprises. They are the team with the smallest population and smallest land area among the 48 participants.

The entire island of Curacao covers only 444 square kilometers, roughly the size of Beijing's Chaoyang District (455 square kilometers). Its population totals just 160,000, surpassing Iceland's 2018 figure.

Even more remarkably, Curacao is not a sovereign nation. It is an island in the southern Caribbean, a constituent country (autonomous territory) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Yet this widely perceived underdog has made history at the World Cup. In their opening match, Curacao scored against mighty Germany in the first half, netting their first ever goal in their World Cup debut.

In their second game against Ecuador, who qualified second in South America, Curacao held firm against 27 shots—15 on target—to claim their first ever point in World Cup history.

When the final whistle blew, Curacao players embraced in celebration as if they had won the World Cup. Goalkeeper Room, who made 15 saves, knelt on the ground for a long time with his head in his hands, unable to contain his excitement.

The 78-year-old Curacao coach, Advocaat, was moved to tears on the sideline. He then walked onto the pitch to embrace each of his players one by one. That night, the Dutch manager and his squad became heroes in the hearts of Curacao's 160,000 people.