Germany Opens World Cup With 7-1 Rout of Curaçao
Germany made a statement in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup, crushing Curaçao 7-1 on Sunday night and recording the tournament’s biggest win so far. The result answered doubts about whether the Mannschaft could contend for the title, while Curaçao at least celebrated its first ever World Cup goal.
Germany struck first in the 6th minute through Felix Nmecha, but Curaçao stunned the favorites when Livano Comenencia equalized in the 21st minute. Germany quickly regained control, with Nico Schlotterbeck restoring the lead from a corner and Kai Havertz converting a penalty just before halftime to make it 3-1.
The second half began in the same one-sided fashion, as Jamal Musiala scored immediately after the restart. Nathaniel Brown, in the 68th minute, netted his first goal for the national team to make it five, and substitute Deniz Undav added the sixth. Havertz completed his brace in the 88th minute to seal the 7-1 scoreline.
The match was played on Sunday, June 14, 2026, and showed Germany in dominant form from the opening minutes. Curaçao’s lone consolation was a historic goal in its World Cup debut, while Germany used the match to deliver an emphatic early warning to the rest of the field.
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