Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 in their 2026 World Cup Group E opener at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The four-time world champions left no room for doubt, pouring seven goals past debutants Curaçao before 68,021 spectators packed into the stadium off Kirby Drive in south Houston, announcing themselves to the tournament in blunt, emphatic fashion.
Germany World Cup Opener: Seven Goals, One Statement
Felix Nmecha drew first blood in the sixth minute, feeding a neat one-two with Florian Wirtz before driving low into the far corner. Nmecha, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, barely gave Curaçao time to settle. But Curaçao did not fold. In the 21st minute, Livano Comenencia collected a blocked pass and ran onto the loose ball, his shot deflecting past Manuel Neuer to level the score, and for a short, electric moment, the island’s small but vocal support inside the arena screamed as one. It did not last.
Nico Schlotterbeck headed home unmarked from a corner in the 38th minute before Kai Havertz rolled in a penalty after Riechedly Bazoer upended Nmecha, giving Germany a commanding cushion at half-time. Three-one at the break. Curaçao had answered once. Germany had answered three times.
Germany World Cup Scorers Run Through Half-Time and Beyond
Jamal Musiala latched onto Joshua Kimmich’s defense-splitting pass and swept into the bottom corner just two minutes after the restart, in the 47th minute. The game was, from that moment, decided. Nathaniel Brown then marked his World Cup debut with a composed, volleyed finish in the 68th minute before substitute Deniz Undav added a sixth from close range ten minutes later. Havertz, already on the scoresheet from the spot, completed his brace in the 88th minute. Seven. Done.
The crowd of 68,021 was overwhelmingly behind Germany, though a spirited contingent cheered loudly for Curaçao as the smallest nation by area and population ever to appear at the tournament. Their coach, 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, watched from the touchline. Advocaat became the oldest coach in World Cup history, managing his eighth different national team. Curaçao forward Jearl Margaritha, speaking to reporters after the final whistle, captured the mood of the island’s camp. “Even though it wasn’t me, it felt like it was me; it was all of us, the whole island, everybody,” he told reporters. “We screamed our lungs out. So we were happy.”
Germany’s Historic Goal Tally and the Road Ahead
The victory carried consequences beyond three points. Germany’s seven goals took their all-time World Cup tally to 239, moving them past Brazil and making them the tournament’s all-time leading scorers. They have now won their opening World Cup game by three goals or more for the eighth time, three clear of France, the next-best nation. Fourteen years after the Maracanã semi-final. Numbers that accumulate. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, speaking to reporters on the NRG Stadium turf, confirmed the win had been necessary for his team’s confidence. “We really needed this convincing win,” Nagelsmann told reporters. “We needed this self-confidence. It was there, but it definitely grew.” He was measured for what follows.
“We are on the right path, but of course there are things that we can do better, and we will have stronger opponents,” Nagelsmann confirmed. Germany’s next Group E fixture falls on June 20 in Toronto, where Julian Nagelsmann’s side face Côte d’Ivoire, with a final group game against Ecuador in New York on June 25. Curaçao, for their part, face Ecuador on June 20. They scored one goal at their first World Cup. That alone is something they will carry home. Germany’s 2026 World Cup campaign is, by every measurable number, off to the kind of start that puts the rest of the draw on notice.
