7M - Germany 7-1 Curacao: Six different scorers strike as clinical Germans ruthlessly dismantle World Cup debutants

Germany kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign in merciless fashion, storming to a thumping 7-1 victory over tournament newcomers Curacao in Houston.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side laid down an ominous marker in Group E, though they were given a temporary scare by the Caribbean island nation. Felix Nmecha opened the scoring inside six minutes, but Curacao briefly drew level against the run of play when Livano Comenencia’s deflected effort wrong-footed Manuel Neuer to spark wild celebrations.

However, the underdog fairy tale was short-lived. Germany swiftly reassumed total control, turning the match into a demonstration of clinical efficiency. Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead before Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time, sending the European giants into the break firmly in the driver's seat.

The second half was entirely one-way traffic. Shortly after the restart, Jamal Musiala added a fourth, before 22-year-old left-back Nathaniel Brown marked his impressive performance with a maiden international goal, drilling a low shot past Eloy Room.

With the game effectively wrapped up, Germany’s depth shone through from the bench. Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav capped his remarkable career journey—rising from the German fourth tier a decade ago to the world stage—by slotting home a sixth.

Havertz then put the final gloss on the scoreline in the 88th minute, beating the offside trap to chip beautifully over the onrushing goalkeeper for his second of the afternoon.

The rampant victory saw Germany equal a piece of national history, marking only the second time they have had six or more different goalscorers in a single World Cup fixture—the previous occasion being their 8-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in 2002. Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made his 20th World Cup appearance, pulling level with France's Hugo Lloris at the top of the all-time standings for goalkeepers.