Germany thrashed Curaçao in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup
The German national team defeated Curaçao in their opening Group E match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match at the NRG Stadium in Houston ended in a 7–1 victory for Germany.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side opened the scoring as early as the 6th minute. Felix Nmecha received a pass from Florian Wirtz and, with a precise shot from the left corner of the penalty area, sent the ball into the far corner of the net.
In the 21st minute, Curaçao equalised. Livano Comencía scored his national team’s first ever World Cup goal, beating Manuel Neuer.
For the German goalkeeper, this tournament marked his fifth World Cup appearance, following the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments. At the age of 40 years and 79 days, Neuer became the oldest player in the history of the German national team at major tournaments.
In the 38th minute, the Germans took the lead again. Nico Schlotterbeck headed home a cross from Nathaniel Braun on the right flank.
Before the break, the Bundesteam extended their lead. In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Kai Havertz converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Rishadli Bazura on Felix Nmecha.
Immediately after the start of the second half, Germany scored their fourth goal. In the 47th minute, Jamal Musiala fired a precise shot into the far corner following a pass from Joshua Kimmich.
In the 68th minute, Nathaniel Braun scored after a pass from Deniz Undav, who laid the ball off with his heel.
Ten minutes later, Undav himself found the net, slotting the ball into an empty net to make it 6-1.
The final score was set in the 88th minute. Kai Havertz completed his brace and scored Germany’s seventh goal.
In the other Group E match of the first round, Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador will face off on 15 June at 02:00 Kyiv time.
In the second round, Germany will face Côte d'Ivoire on 20 June, while Curaçao will play Ecuador on 21 June.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The tournament is being held with 48 teams for the first time. All teams are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, as well as the eight third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
