Germany defeats Curacao 7-1 in 2026 World Cup opener

On June 14, 2026, Germany defeated Curacao 7-1 at the Houston Stadium in the opening match of Group E for the World Cup. Lukas Nmecha opened the scoring for Germany in the 6th minute, but Curacao equalized through Komencencia in the 21st minute, marking the team's first-ever goal in a World Cup final tournament. Schlotterbeck regained the lead for Germany in the 38th minute, after which the German team secured a dominant victory. Substitute Deniz Undav played a significant role, providing two assists and scoring a goal in the 78th minute. By doing so, Undav became only the second player since 1966 to record two assists and a goal as a substitute in a World Cup match, following James Rodriguez in 2014. The group also includes Ecuador and Ivory Coast.