Houston, Texas — The German national team kicked off its 2026 World Cup campaign with a dominant display, thrashing first-time participant Curaçao 7-1 in group stage play, led by a brace from Kai Havertz.
The match, played in front of 68,021 spectators at Houston Stadium (home of the NFL’s Houston Texans), marks a resounding start for a German squad desperately seeking redemption after being eliminated in the group stage at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
The Caribbean’s historic moment: Despite the lopsided defeat, the small Caribbean nation experienced a moment of pure glory. After Felix Nmecha opened the scoring for the Europeans in the 6th minute, Livano Comenencia sent the Curaçao fans into a frenzy in the 21st minute. With a left-footed strike through a sea of legs inside the box, Comenencia tied the score at 1-1, scoring the first goal in Curaçao’s World Cup history.
The German steamroller: The Caribbean joy was short-lived, as the four-time champions regained complete control of the match:
- 38′: Nico Schlotterbeck restored Germany’s lead with a precise header off a corner kick taken by Nathaniel Brown.
- 45’+: In stoppage time of the first half, Kai Havertz perfectly converted a penalty (awarded after a foul on Nmecha) to make it 3-1.
- 47′: Just as the second half began, Jamal Musiala fired a right-footed shot across the goalmouth to extend the lead.
- 68′ and 78′: Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav joined the scoring spree, netting the fifth and sixth goals, respectively.
- 88′: Kai Havertz sealed his brace and the final 7-1 score in the closing minutes.
Although the victory was crushing, it fell short of the tournament’s all-time record of a nine-goal margin, a feat last achieved when Hungary crushed El Salvador 10-1 at Spain 1982.
Matchday highlights:
- The return of the wall: Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper who came out of international retirement to play in this World Cup, had a quiet debut with just one save.
- Generational clash on the benches: The match marked the largest age gap between coaches in World Cup history. Curacao’s head coach, Dick Advocaat (78), became the oldest coach in the tournament, facing off against Julian Nagelsmann (38), the youngest coach in this edition.
What’s next for both teams? The action continues this Saturday. Germany will travel to Toronto to face Ivory Coast, while Curaçao will look to turn the page when they take on Ecuador in Kansas City.
