Four-time men’s football World Cup winners Germany kicked off their 2026 campaign chasing a historic fifth title with a dominant 7-1 victory over tournament first-timers Curaçao on Saturday, played out at Houston’s professional football stadium under Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed.
Despite being widely labeled as the clear underdog going into the opening group-stage clash, Curaçao refused to settle for a predicted heavy defeat, turning in a brave performance that produced an engaging, end-to-end contest for spectators. From the opening whistle, Germany’s signature attacking intensity shone through, and it took just six minutes for the four-time champions to break the deadlock: Felix Nmecha slotted home to put Germany 1-0 up.
Stung by the early setback, Curaçao pushed forward to find an equalizer, opening up space in behind their defense that Germany looked to exploit repeatedly. Nmecha came close to doubling his tally soon after, but Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room stood firm to deny the German attacker a second.
Curaçao’s first dangerous attempt of the match arrived in the 19th minute, when experienced midfielder Leandro Bacuna pulled a shot just over the crossbar. A minute later, however, Curaçao got the historic equalizer their pressure deserved: 20-year-old Livano Comenencia hit a ferocious strike past veteran German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to level the score at 1-1, sending shockwaves through the match.
The equalizer gave Curaçao renewed confidence, with the underdogs pushing higher in search of a second goal. This left more gaps for Germany’s creative midfield to exploit, and the four-time champions retook the lead in the 38th minute. Defender Nico Schlotterbeck connected perfectly with a corner kick, heading home to put Germany 2-1 up ahead of half time.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Germany earned a penalty after Nmecha was brought down in the 18-yard box by Curaçao’s Richedly Bazoer. Kai Havertz stepped up to the spot, sending Room the wrong way to extend Germany’s lead to 3-1, the scoreline heading into the halftime break.
Germany picked up right where they left off after the break, with star attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala confirming the European side’s dominance just two minutes into the second half, scoring to make it 4-1. Just after the one-hour mark, winger Leroy Sane had a clear one-on-one chance against Room to add a fifth, but he dragged his effort just wide of the post.
The fifth goal did arrive in the 68th minute, though, with defender Nathaniel Brown slotting home a cross from striker Deniz Undav to push the score to 5-1. Even with the game well out of reach, Curaçao continued to push forward in search of a second goal, but Germany’s defense held firm to shut out any further chances.
Undav got himself on the scoresheet in the 78th minute, tapping home a cross from captain Joshua Kimmich to make it 6-1 to the four-time world champions. In the closing minutes of the match, Havertz scored his second of the game to cap off a dominant German display, sealing a 7-1 win for Germany in their opening match of the tournament.
Report by Mireille Hoepel