Germany routs Curacao 7-1 in Group E opener
Der Panzer top Group E with three points, while Manuel Neuer makes his fifth World Cup appearance.
Germany opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 win over Curacao in the first Group E match at NRG Stadium in Houston, the United States, on Sunday. Felix Nmecha scored in the sixth minute, before Curacao briefly leveled through Livano Comenencia in the 21st minute. Germany then pulled away through Nico Schlotterbeck, a Kai Havertz penalty, Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav and Havertz's second goal in the 88th minute. The result put Julian Nagelsmann's team atop the temporary Group E standings with three points, while Curacao sat bottom. The match also marked a milestone for Manuel Neuer, who became the second goalkeeper in history to appear in five World Cup editions.