Four-time world champions Germany initiated their World Cup group stage campaign with a comprehensive 7-1 victory over tournament debutants Curaçao at the Houston Stadium. The conclusive scoreline directly mirrored Germany’s historic 7-1 semi-final triumph over tournament hosts Brazil during the 2014 World Cup.
The European side established a distinct advantage in the opening half, concluding the period with a 3-1 lead. Midfielder Felix Nmecha initiated the scoring in the sixth minute of the match, converting a pass delivered by Florian Wirtz. Curaçao achieved a temporary equaliser in the 21st minute when Livano Comenencia scored, recording the Caribbean nation’s first-ever goal in the history of the World Cup finals.
Germany re-established their lead in the 38th minute of play. Defender Nico Schlotterbeck found the back of the net, converting an assist delivered from a corner kick by left-back Nathaniel Brown. Five minutes into first-half stoppage time, forward Kai Havertz successfully converted a penalty kick to extend the lead. The penalty was awarded by the referee after Riechedly Bazoer committed a foul on Felix Nmecha inside the penalty area.
Following the half-time interval, the squad managed by Julian Nagelsmann immediately intensified their offensive pressure against the opposition. Merely 69 seconds into the second half, in the 47th minute, Jamal Musiala collected a pass from Joshua Kimmich and produced a precise finish to alter the scoreline to 4-1.
The defensive structure of Curaçao subsequently struggled to contain the velocity and frequency of the German transitions. In the 68th minute, Nathaniel Brown advanced from his defensive position into the opposition box, executing a clinical finish to secure the fifth goal for his country.
The offensive sequence continued into the final quarter of the match. In the 78th minute, substitute Deniz Undav added his name to the list of goalscorers, extending the scoreline to 6-1. The final goal of the encounter occurred in the 88th minute, when Kai Havertz scored his second goal of the fixture, confirming the final 7-1 result. With this performance, Germany secured three points in Group E.
Match Timeline and Goalscorers
| Match Minute | Goalscorer | Team | Current Scoreline |
| 6′ | Felix Nmecha | Germany | 1–0 |
| 21′ | Livano Comenencia | Curaçao | 1–1 |
| 38′ | Nico Schlotterbeck | Germany | 2–1 |
| 45+5′ | Kai Havertz (Penalty) | Germany | 3–1 |
| 47′ | Jamal Musiala | Germany | 4–1 |
| 68′ | Nathaniel Brown | Germany | 5–1 |
| 78′ | Deniz Undav | Germany | 6–1 |
| 88′ | Kai Havertz | Germany | 7–1 |