HOUSTON: Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group ‘E’ match in Houston on Sunday.

The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014.

An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia which had the Curacao fans, known as the Blue Wave, out of their seats.

However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with a double, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scored to put to bed any possibility of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

Germany settled early, Nmecha scoring a beauty in the sixth minute, receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz and curling the ball round a Curacao defender and past goalkeeper Eloy Room.

Nmecha went close minutes later with a rasping effort from outside the box. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had had little to do until Comenencia struck with a shot which took a deflection.Soon after the restart Schlotterbeck’s header was brilliantly turned over the bar by Room.

The Curacao defence cracked in the 38th minute after a period of stability when an unmarked Schlotterbeck headed home from a corner for his first goal for his country.

The Germans went into the break with a two-goal advantage as Havertz stroked home a penalty after Nmecha had been brought down by Riechedly Bazoer.

Germany struck 69 seconds into the second half, Musiala running on to Joshua Kimmich’s pass and scoring from a tight angle. Brown then fired home just before the second hydration break. Substitute Undav made it six.

Havertz rounded it off with his 24th goal for Germany to replicate the same scoreline as they famously recorded against hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026