Germany’s Jamal Musiala scores their fourth goal against Curacao at Houston Stadium, Texas, U.S. on Sunday.
HOUSTON–Germany started their World Cup campaign with a 7-1 victory over debutants Curacao. Felix Nmecha scored the fastest goal of the tournament after six minutes, followed by contributions from Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (two), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav.
The biggest cheer came from Livano Comenencia’s equaliser for Curacao, marking their first goal at a World Cup. Curacao became the smallest nation by population and area to compete at the finals, and their support celebrated this historic moment under 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat, the oldest in World Cup history.
Despite the loss, Advocaat expressed pride in the team’s performance and the joy of their fans, noting that they still have two games left. Recalled goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is now Germany’s oldest player at a major tournament at 40.
Nagelsmann praised his team’s scoring and performance. Curacao can take solace in their match mirroring Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil in 2014, but Germany’s control and clinical play sent a strong message to their rivals.
Curacao, known as The Blue Wave, faced relentless attacks from Germany, who regained the lead with a header from Schlotterbeck. Germany converted a penalty through Havertz, and Musiala, Brown, Undav, and Havertz added goals to complete the rout.