A scare, then a statement

Germany opened its World Cup with a 7-1 win over Curaçao. The debutant had its historic moment, but then the German attack took over – and Group E already looks more demanding than the scoreline suggests.

After a brief scare, Germany takes control: the DFB team opens the 2026 World Cup with a 7-1 win over Curaçao.

That is one way to start a tournament: Germany opened its World Cup campaign with a 7-1 win over Curaçao and sent an early signal on Matchday 1. It was a game with pace, a brief scare, plenty of goals – and a story that, despite the lopsided result, also belonged to the underdog.

Felix Nmecha started the scoring after just six minutes following a sharp move involving Florian Wirtz. At that point, it looked like a very early, very one-sided evening. But Curaçao created its own small World Cup moment in the 18th minute: Livano Comenencia scored the temporary equalizer, the first-ever World Cup goal for the smallest nation ever to appear at the finals. For a short moment, memories of Germany’s recent World Cup false starts were back.

This time, however, the wobble did not last long. Nico Schlotterbeck headed Germany back in front from a Nathaniel Brown corner in the 38th minute. Just before halftime, Kai Havertz converted a penalty to make it 3-1. After the break, Germany needed only 67 seconds to strike again, with Jamal Musiala finishing low into the far corner for 4-1. From there, the match was settled – and turned into a German goal show.

Nathaniel Brown crowned a strong performance with the goal for 5-1 in the 68th minute. Deniz Undav came off the bench, set up a goal, scored himself to make it 6-1 in the 78th minute and later assisted Havertz’s second goal for the final 7-1. Brown and Undav in particular added extra energy to Germany’s game. For coach Julian Nagelsmann, the key point was that his team did not get nervous after the equalizer, but found the right response.

Curaçao still had its place in the story. Dick Advocaat became the oldest coach in World Cup history at 78, while Manuel Neuer became the oldest German player to appear at a major tournament. Most of all, the fans from the Caribbean island celebrated their team’s historic goal as if it were much more than a consolation strike. Moments like these are exactly what make this expanded World Cup special.

For the ProXES betting game, Germany’s start is a strong early indicator: anyone who backed a clear German win may have collected important points right away. At the same time, the other Group E match showed that tougher tasks are ahead. Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 thanks to a late Amad Diallo goal in the 90th minute. That leaves Germany and Ivory Coast at the top of the group after the first round of matches, with Germany leading on goal difference. Next Saturday in Toronto, the DFB team faces the Ivorians directly – and that should be a much more physical test.