▲ German fans celebrate their team's victory against Curacao in the opening match of Group E at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston, Texas.
Germany, aiming to restore its pride as a "world powerhouse," cruised to a 7-1 victory over Curacao, a small Caribbean island nation making its first-ever World Cup appearance, with six different players finding the back of the net.
Germany kicked off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a dominant win in the Group E opener held today at Houston Stadium in Texas.
Six German players scored in the match, led by Kai Havertz, who netted a brace.
Deniz Undav contributed with one goal and two assists, while Joshua Kimmich added two assists to the victory.
Germany seized control early, opening the scoring just six minutes into the match.
Felix Nmecha played a precise one-two pass with Florian Wirtz near the penalty arc before breaking into the box and firing a clinical, first-time shot to open the scoring.
Curacao did not back down easily.
In the 21st minute, they achieved a historic milestone by scoring their first-ever goal in World Cup history with their first shot on target.
The goal came from Roly Bonevacia, who currently plays in Zurich, Switzerland.
After a shot from teammate Jurgen Locadia was blocked by a defender, Bonevacia pounced on the loose ball and fired a left-footed strike. The ball deflected off Kimmich, eluding goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and finding the bottom left corner of the net.
Germany, which continued to pressure Curacao while maintaining control of the game, reclaimed the lead in the 38th minute.
From a corner kick, Nathaniel Brown delivered a precise cross that Nico Schlotterbeck headed home with a powerful effort, with the ball bouncing into the corner of the net.
With momentum on their side, Germany extended their lead in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. Havertz stepped up to take a penalty kick, calmly waiting for the goalkeeper to commit before slotting the ball into the opposite corner to end the first half at 3-1.
Germany’s one-sided offensive continued in the second half.
Jamal Musiala scored his first-ever World Cup goal just two minutes after the restart, and in the 23rd minute of the second half, Brown found the back of the net again with a spectacular right-footed volley.
Ten minutes later, substitute Undav rushed into the box to tap in a cross from Kimmich, extending the lead to 6-1.
Germany’s goal fest did not end there.
In the 43rd minute of the second half, Havertz received a sharp through ball from Undav and executed a clever chip shot over goalkeeper Eloy Room to complete his brace and seal the 7-1 victory.
Although they suffered a heavy defeat, the small island nation of Curacao, with a population of 150,000, made history.
In addition to setting a record as the nation with the smallest population to ever qualify for the World Cup, they thrilled their fans by scoring their first-ever World Cup goal against the football giant Germany and even holding them to a 1-1 tie at one point in the match.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.