Germany Thrash Newcomers Curaçao 7-1 To Kick-Off  2026 W/Cup Campaign

Germany overpowered tournament debutants Curacao to begin their World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1
victory .

The tiny Caribbean island had enjoyed a famous moment when Livano Comenencia cancelled out Felix Nmecha’s beautiful opener which was seen as a brief upset in the game.

Ranked 82nd in the world and with a population of just over 150,000, any kind of positive result against the four-time winners would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

But Germany kept their composure and were 3-1 up by the break, thanks to Nico Schlotterbeck’s header and a Kai Havertz penalty.

Second-half strikes from Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav and a second from Havertz wrapped things up for Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

The size of the victory means Germany take a commanding early lead in Group E, with Ivory Coast and Ecuador meeting later.

Clearly, coach Dick Advocaat and Curacao’s path to the last 32 will be challenging after a defeat of this scale, even in what looks to be a relatively open Group E.