Germany Crushes Curaçao 7-1 in World Cup Opener
Havertz Brace Headlines Dominant Start as Neuer Sets Age Record
Germany delivered a commanding performance in their FIFA World Cup opener, dismantling debutants Curaçao 7-1 at Houston Stadium to seize control of Group E.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring inside six minutes, finishing off a clever exchange with Florian Wirtz. Curaçao briefly stunned the four-time world champions when Livano Comenencia’s deflected strike beat veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, sparking celebrations among the Caribbean nation’s supporters.
Germany quickly reasserted their dominance. Nico Schlotterbeck rose unmarked to head home from a corner, before Kai Havertz calmly converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Riechedly Bazoer fouled Nmecha.
The second half brought further misery for Curaçao. Jamal Musiala latched onto Joshua Kimmich’s incisive pass to make it 4-1, while Nathaniel Brown marked his World Cup debut with a composed volley. Substitute Deniz Undav added a sixth, and Havertz completed his brace late on to seal an emphatic victory.
The result places Germany atop Group E, while Curaçao must regroup ahead of their crucial clash with Ecuador on June 20.
In addition to the scoreline, the match carried historic significance: at 40 years and 79 days, Manuel Neuer became the oldest player to represent Germany at a major tournament, surpassing Lothar Matthaus’s record set at UEFA EURO 2000.
Kai Havertz was named Player of the Match, his two goals underscoring Germany’s ruthless attacking display.
