Germany launched their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion with a dominant 7-1 victory over tournament debutants Curaçao in their Group E opener at Houston Stadium on Sunday.
The four-time world champions overwhelmed their opponents with an attacking masterclass, collecting all three points and moving to the top of the group standings.
The Germans wasted little time asserting their authority, taking the lead after just six minutes through Felix Nmecha.
However, Curaçao produced a memorable moment midway through the first half when Livano Comenencia scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal, briefly silencing the German supporters and leveling the contest at 1-1.
Any hopes of an upset were quickly extinguished before halftime. Nico Schlotterbeck restored Germany’s advantage with a headed finish in the 38th minute.
Then Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time to give his side a commanding 3-1 lead at the break.
Germany continued their relentless assault immediately after the restart. Jamal Musiala struck two minutes into the second half to make it 4-1, and the floodgates soon opened.
Nathaniel Brown added a fifth in the 68th minute before substitute Deniz Undav got on the scoresheet ten minutes later as Curaçao struggled to contain the European giants.
Havertz completed his brace in the 88th minute after being played through by Undav, capping a polished attacking display from Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
Undav finished the match with a goal and two assists, while Joshua Kimmich also contributed two assists as Germany’s creative players repeatedly carved open the Curaçao defence.
Despite the heavy defeat, Curaçao’s supporters applauded their team at full-time, celebrating a historic occasion for the smallest nation at the tournament.
Their landmark first World Cup goal provided a moment that will be remembered long after the final score.
For Germany, meanwhile, the seven-goal performance carried additional significance, taking their all-time World Cup tally to 239 goals and moving them ahead of Brazil as the competition’s highest-scoring nation in history.
