HOUSTON, Texas – Four-time World Cup champions Germany kicked off their 2026 World Cup Group E campaign in dominant fashion on Sunday, securing their first opening-match victory at the global tournament since their 2014 title run with a lopsided 7-1 win over first-time qualifiers Curacao at Houston Stadium. The resounding result puts the German side in a strong position to reach the knockout round for the first time in 12 years, though stiffer tests await against group opponents Ecuador and Ivory Coast in the coming matches.
The match got off to a fast start for Germany, as 22-year-old midfielder Felix Nmecha – who previously represented England at youth level before pledging his allegiance to Germany – curled a stunning strike past Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room in the sixth minute, collecting a well-placed pass from Florian Wirtz to outmaneuver a defender and open the scoring. The early goal drew a jubilant roar from German head coach Julian Nagelsmann, and Nmecha nearly doubled his tally just minutes later with a blistering long-range effort that sailed just off target.
Against all expectations, Curacao hit back to draw level in the first half, as Livano Comenencia’s deflected shot wrong-footed German captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. At 40 years old, Neuer is the oldest German player to ever feature at a World Cup, and this appearance marks his fifth participation in the global tournament – a historic milestone for the veteran shot-stopper. He was left shaking his head at the deflection, but Curacao’s 78-year-old head coach Dick Advocaat, the oldest manager to ever lead a side at the World Cup finals, leapt from his bench with arms raised in celebration. The underdog Caribbean side’s equalizer sent their traveling fan group, known as the Blue Wave, into a frenzy in the Houston stands.
A mandatory mid-first-half drinks break gave Germany time to reset and refocus after the unexpected concession. “The goal we conceded was unnecessary, but that’s part of football,” said young full-back Nathaniel Brown after the match. “I’m proud that we didn’t let our heads drop after that.”
Curacao’s defense held firm for several minutes after the restart, with Room pulling off a spectacular save to tip Nico Schlotterbeck’s header over the crossbar as the four-time champions pinned the debutants back in their own half. Desperate last-ditch blocks repeatedly kept Germany at bay, but the Curacao backline finally cracked in the 38th minute: Schlotterbeck found himself unmarked at the near post from a corner, and powered a header home for his first ever senior international goal, putting Germany back in the lead.
Germany extended their advantage before halftime to 3-1, when Kai Havertz calmly converted a penalty after Nmecha was brought down in the box by Riechedly Bazoer. The floodgates fully opened just 69 seconds into the second half, when another former youth England international Jamal Musiala ran onto a pinpoint through ball from Joshua Kimmich and slotted home from a tight angle to make the score 4-1.
Leroy Sane missed a clear chance to add a fifth just after the hour mark, sending his shot wide with only Room to beat, but Brown made no such mistake moments later, firing home his first ever goal for Germany just before the second hydration break. “It is indescribable,” the 22-year-old said of the milestone. “To score in the first World Cup match, my family is there, then to celebrate with the guys — simply incredible.”
Substitute Deniz Undav, who has been in red-hot form for Germany on the international stage, made the score 6-1 with his seventh goal in his last seven senior appearances. Havertz put the final nail in the coffin with a late second goal of his own – his 24th overall for the national side – that brought the final score to 7-1, a mirror image of Germany’s iconic 7-1 semi-final victory over host Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.
The lopsided win sends Germany to the top of the Group E table early in the tournament, boosting their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage for the first time since they lifted the trophy in Rio 12 years ago.