Four-time world cup Champion Germany initiated their 2026 campaign in electrifying form, defeating Curacao 7-1 in Houston, the Germans finding the back of the net four times within the first 47 minutes of the match. Eliminated at the group stage in the last two world cups after winning the title in Brazil in 2014, Germany wasted no time in making their presence felt in the 2026 World Cup with a scintillating shot just inside the box from Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha that found the back of the net in the 6th
minute. However Curacao, making its World Cup debut, shocked the Germans by equalizing in the 21st minute through a strike from Livano Comenencia.
But the Dutch Caribbean Island’s hopes were short-lived as Borussia Dortmund’s centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, believed to be a possible target for Real Madrid this summer, once again put Germany ahead on the scoreboard in the 38th minute after heading in Nathaniel Brown’s well-placed corner. And just as the first-half ended, Nmecha was fouled inside the box, the ensuing penalty converted by Kai Havertz for the German’s third goal.
Two minutes had not yet passed in the 2nd half when a Jamal Musiala strike increased the score to 4-1 following a pass from his club and country teammate, Joshua Kimmich. The 5th German goal arrived via a shot inside the box from Dortmund left-back Brown who was just onside, while the 6th came from Denis Undav in the 78th minute after coming on for Musiala in the 64th minute, the Stuttgart forward also assisting on Brown’s goal and Havertz’s 2nd goal in the 88th minute. Havertz has now scored 4 goals in his last 3 matches, including Arsenal’s only goal in the Champions League final, and after an injury plagued season seems to be coming into the right form for German fans to get excited about their country’s World Cup chances.
Kimmich with 5 key passes (2 assists) and Florian Wirtz with 4 key passes (1 assist) were fundamental in chance creation for Germany, while Musiala led the Germans with 4 successful dribbles. Julian Nagelsmann preferred to pair Schlotterbeck with Bayern Munich’s Jonathan Tah in the backline, leaving Antonio Rüdiger on the bench. The Real Madrid centre-back did come on in the 72nd minute to replace Tah and completed 13 of 16 passes, including 2 into the final third, while winning his only aerial duel.
The 7-1 German victory tied the country’s 2nd best goal differential in a World Cup match, equaling the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the 2014 semifinal. Only in 2002 when Germany defeated Saudi Arabia 8-0 did the Germans win by a more convincing score-line at the World Cup.
Germany will next face Ivory Coast on Saturday, June 20th in Toronto while Curacao looks to gain their first World Cup points against Ecuador that same day in Kansas City.
