Curacao Set for Historic World Cup Debut as Neuer Chases Record Night

On the fourth day of the 2026 World Cup, eight more teams enter action overnight from Sunday into Monday, led by Germany and the Netherlands. The schedule features Curacao’s first-ever World Cup match, Germany’s bid to reassert itself after missing the knockout stage in the last two tournaments, and a heavyweight meeting between the Netherlands and Japan.

Germany plays Curacao at 20:00. Curacao, a tiny Central American side with a population of 185,000, is making its tournament debut and draws much of its squad from players developed in Dutch academies. Germany, the 2014 world champion, will likely start Manuel Neuer in goal after he reversed his retirement from the national team following Euro 2024. If he plays, it will be his 20th World Cup appearance, tying Hugo Lloris for the all-time record by a goalkeeper.

The night’s marquee match is Netherlands versus Japan at 23:00. The Dutch are ranked 8th in FIFA’s rankings and Japan 18th, and neither team has lost a competitive match in more than a year. The Netherlands have reached at least the quarterfinals in three of their last four World Cup appearances, while Japan is at its eighth straight World Cup and has reached the round of 16 four times.

Later, Ivory Coast meets Ecuador at 02:00. Ivory Coast returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, looking to recapture the strength it once had when Didier Drogba led the team. Ecuador is at its second consecutive World Cup, with its best result still the 2006 round of 16, and is led by striker Enner Valencia, who scored twice in the opening match of the previous tournament. Sweden then faces Tunisia at 05:00. Sweden finished last in its qualifying group with 2 points from 6 matches, but reached the tournament through the Nations League playoff route by beating Ukraine and Poland. Tunisia qualified by winning its African qualifying group, and this is its third straight World Cup.