FIFA World Cup 2026: Germany thrash first timers Curacao 7-1 in their tournament opener

Germany brought back memories of 2014 as they defeated first timers Curacao 7-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E opener in Houston

Published: June 15, 2026, 1:40 AM IST

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Germany player Nathaniel Brown during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Curacao at Houston Stadium in Houston, United States, on Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)

Germany, the 4-time World Champions, opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a sensational 7-1 win over first-timers Curacao in their Group E opener at the Houston Stadium.

The result marked Germany’s tenth consecutive win under Julian Nagelsmann and secured an ideal start in Group E.

Germany opened the scoring early in the sixth minute when Felix Nmecha collected a pass from Florian Wirtz and curled a fine strike past Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room. Despite the early setback, the Caribbean nation responded with a historic moment in the 20th minute.

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A blocked effort from Leandro Bacuna fell into the path of defender Livano Comenencia, who struck a deflected shot past Manuel Neuer to score Curaçao’s first-ever World Cup goal and temporarily level the match.

The parity was short-lived as Germany re-established control before the break. Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead in the 37th minute with a neat finish, before Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep in first-half stoppage time after Nmecha was brought down in the area.

The European powerhouse showed no signs of slowing down in the second half, adding a fourth just a minute after the restart through Jamal Musiala. Defender Nathaniel Brown then added his name to the scoresheet in the 67th minute, followed by a clinical strike from substitute Deniz Undav ten minutes later.

Havertz capped off the high-scoring performance in the 87th minute, tapping in his second goal of the match to complete the 7-1 rout and place Germany firmly at the top of the group standings.