Germany cruise to 7-1 win over debutants Curacao in Houston

The German team controlled possession and created chances at will, with Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (who scored twice), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav completing the comprehensive rout. The biggest cheer from the 68,021 crowd came for Livano Comenencia’s 21st-minute equalizer, which marked Curacao's first-ever goal at a World Cup after hitting the Germans on the break.

Curacao made history as the smallest nation by population size and area to ever play at the global finals, with their sizeable support celebrating the milestone under the guidance of Dick Advocaat. At 78 years old, Dick Advocaat became the oldest coach in World Cup history, stating after the match that while Germany was too strong, the joy of the fans was fantastic and his players would not be downcast. Recalled goalkeeper Manuel Neuer also set a major milestone at age 40, officially becoming the oldest player to feature for Germany at a major tournament by surpassing previous record holder Lothar Matthaeus.

The scoreline in this Group E opener matched Germany’s famous 7-1 victory over hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals, sending a clear message to rivals about their potential as title contenders. Coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed his satisfaction with the winning start, noting that it took his team a few minutes to recover after Curacao's equalizer but praising his side's seven-goal performance.

Curacao's historic parity lasted until the 38th minute when Schlotterbeck scored a simple glancing header, followed by a Havertz penalty and a second-half procession that finalized the heavy scoreline.