Germany began its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 7-1 win over debutants Curaçao in Houston on June 14, taking an early lead in Group E. Curaçao, an island of about 444 square kilometres with a population of roughly 160,000, became the smallest nation by area to qualify for a World Cup.
Felix Nmecha put Germany ahead in the sixth minute, finishing a pass from Florian Wirtz. Curaçao responded in the 21st minute, when Livano Comenencia scored the team’s first-ever World Cup goal. Germany regained the lead through Nico Schlotterbeck in the 38th minute, and Kai Havertz converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Jamal Musiala added Germany’s fifth goal after the break, with Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scoring next. Havertz completed his brace late in the match to make it 7-1. The result recalled Germany’s 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semifinal.
Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat, who was 78 years and 260 days old on match day, said before kickoff: “We will make their lives difficult; we will be a team that is very difficult to play.” He also said Curaçao had gone unbeaten throughout qualifying. Despite the heavy defeat, Comenencia’s goal gave the team a landmark moment in its first appearance at the finals.
The Houston match was the first of three Group E fixtures for each side. Curaçao finished the group with one draw and two defeats, scoring once and conceding nine goals; the team also lost 0-2 to Côte d’Ivoire. Germany went on to beat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in Toronto on June 20. Germany’s opening win recalled the team’s return to the World Cup after it failed to progress from the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Germany is a four-time world champion, with its most recent title coming in 2014. Curaçao’s 7-1 defeat marked a striking start to its first World Cup campaign, while the goal against Germany gave the debutants a historic entry on the tournament’s scoreboard.
