Germany Opens World Cup 2026 With Record-Setting 7-1 Win Over Curaçao

Germany thrashed Curaçao 7-1 in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup, a result that immediately entered the record books. The goals came from Niclas Füllkrug, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz twice, Jamal Musiala, Brown, and substitute Undav, as the Mannschaft delivered a clear statement of intent.

German media celebrated the performance with headlines such as Bild’s, "Houston, we have no problem," while local outlet Sport1 called it a "record-breaking victory." Coverage noted that Curaçao, coached by Dick Advocaat, fought well in the first half and even scored a surprise goal, forcing Germany to rely on creativity and set pieces to pull ahead.

Germany increased its control after halftime as Curaçao’s concentration faded. The match statistics reflected the imbalance, with Germany producing 27 shots to Curaçao’s 8. Undav stood out after coming off the bench, contributing two assists and a goal.

The win was Germany’s first opening-match victory since 2014. It was also only the sixth time in history that a national team had six different scorers in one match, with Havertz accounting for the only brace. The previous instance came in Spain’s 7-0 win over Costa Rica in Qatar, while the overall record remains Yugoslavia’s 9-0 defeat of Zaire in 1974, when seven players scored.