FIFA 2026 World Cup: Ruthless Germany fire seven past Curaçao

Germany made an emphatic start to their FIFA 2026 World Cup campaign, brushing aside tournament debutants Curaçao 7-1 in a dominant Group E display.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side briefly suffered a scare after conceding Curaçao’s first-ever World Cup goal, but the four-time champions quickly reasserted their authority before running riot in a one-sided contest.

Germany struck first after just six minutes when Felix Nmecha volleyed home a pinpoint cross from Florian Wirtz. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder showed excellent composure to give the Mannschaft an early advantage and set the tone for what appeared to be a routine evening.

However, Curaçao stunned their illustrious opponents 15 minutes later. Livano Comenencia capitalised on loose defending inside the German penalty area to score a historic equaliser, sending the Caribbean side’s supporters into celebration. The goal was Curaçao’s first ever at a FIFA World Cup and briefly raised hopes of an upset.

Germany regained control before the break with two quick goals. Nico Schlotterbeck powered in from a corner in the 38th minute before Kai Havertz calmly converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to hand the Europeans a comfortable 3-1 lead.

Despite showing determination and flashes of attacking intent, Curaçao struggled to cope with Germany’s relentless pressure and superior quality across the pitch.

The second half became a showcase of German attacking football. Jamal Musiala extended the lead just two minutes after the restart with a clinical finish before Nathaniel Brown marked his World Cup debut with a goal in the 68th minute.

With the outcome beyond doubt, Nagelsmann rotated his squad, introducing fresh legs, including Leon Goretzka and Antonio Rüdiger, but Germany’s intensity never dropped.

Deniz Undav added a sixth goal in the 78th minute, finding himself unmarked inside the box to cap another flowing move. Havertz then completed the rout, spotting goalkeeper Eloy Room off his line and producing an audacious lob to seal a 7-1 victory.

The result matched Germany’s famous 7-1 semi-final triumph over Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, the tournament they went on to win, and also saw the Mannschaft surpass Brazil as the highest-scoring nation in World Cup history with 239 goals.

The commanding victory sends an early warning to Germany’s rivals as Nagelsmann’s side laid down a marker in its quest for a fifth World Cup title.