Germany coasted to a handsome 7–1 victory over debutants Curaçao in its 2026 World Cup opener on Sunday. The four-time world champion isn’t fancied by too many to add a fifth star to its jersey this summer, but Germany always seems to be more dangerous when it slips under the radar. Julian Nagelsmann’s side started the contest in Houston like a house on fire, and Felix Nmecha’s brilliant opening goal was the fastest of the tournament so far. Germany‘s central interplay was occasionally mesmeric, far too slick for its quickly suffering opponents, but many will wonder if such a risky and demanding approach out of possession can thrust the Mannschaft to World Cup glory. Curaçao had joy, and its 21st-minute equalizer was a special moment. The minnows peaked then, with Germany continuing to flex its technical and physical might as the score eventually ran up to seven. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz scored twice in the rout, while Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav also hit the target. The One Thing We Can’t IgnoreCuraçao celebrates its first World Cup goal. | Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/Getty ImagesGermany’s early storm doubtless would’ve facilitated groans regarding the potential quality dilution of this expanded World Cup. It was a David vs. Goliath-like affair, with Curaçao roughly 50 times smaller in population than the host city of Monday’s match, Houston. A German victory was never in doubt, and the size of its triumph may well allow the aforementioned debate to linger. Nevertheless, nothing really mattered after Dick Advocaat’s side made history 21 minutes in. Curaçao is just happy to be here, and while FIFA’s insatiable thirst for expansion means such nations will continue to find World Cup qualification a little easier, there’s no guarantee that the former Dutch colony will be back on the big stage in short order. They’re drinking in every moment of this experience, and thanks to Livano Comenencia, they’ll return to the South Caribbean (or the Netherlands) with a moment they’ll cherish in perpetuity.The tiny island nation rejoiced as Comenencia’s deflected strike bypassed Manuel Neuer for Curaçao’s maiden World Cup goal, which canceled out Nmecha’s sumptuous opener. Those rooting for the underdog inside the NRG Stadium veered towards delirium, and, if it wasn’t for a meddling hydration break, Curaçao may well have fancied itself to grab another against a German outfit that briefly looked petrified of ex-Brighton & Hove Albion striker Jürgen Locadia. Things eventually got ugly, although 7–1 was harsh, with the variety of Germany’s play and its far superior fitness taking its toll, but Curaçao will always have that moment.Germany Player Ratings vs. Curaçao (4-2-3-1)Manuel Neuer is now the oldest ever German international. | Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images*Ratings Provided by FotMob*GK: Manuel Neuer—6.2: No clean sheet for Germany’s oldest ever World Cup player on his first appearance of tournament number five. RB: Joshua Kimmich—8.8: The skipper serenely waltzed through this contest without much fuss. Teed up Germany‘s fourth goal with a diagonal pass that is a key feature of Nagelsmann’s team. CB: Jonathan Tah—6.9: Tah produced a couple of sloppy moments in possession that likely would‘ve been punished by superior opposition.CB: Nico Schlotterbeck—8.8: Heavily involved in Curaçao’s goal sequence, but made amends by heading home from a Nathaniel Brown corner to restore Germany’s lead. Schlotterbeck was dominant at set pieces throughout.LB: Nathaniel Brown—8.5: Brown could be Germany‘s X-factor at this tournament. His underlapping runs will be a major issue for opposing defenses, and he has the recovery speed to thrive in Nagelsmann’s system. Capped his first World Cup outing with a goal.CM: Felix Nmecha—8.6: Got the ball rolling with a fine finish, performing like a man possessed in the opening stages. Curaçao couldn’t get near him, and Nmecha’s box-crashing paid dividends when he won a penalty at the end of the first half.CM: Aleksandar Pavlović—7.5: Neat and tidy. Not much else to note. You fear that he may be overwhelmed against better teams out of possession, given the extent to which Germany commits to counter-pressing. RW: Leroy Sané—7.2: A disappointing outing for Sané, whose out-to-in runs were often brilliant. However, he was wasteful with the moments he crafted in the final third. AM: Jamal Musiala—8.3: The Bayern Munich playmaker has struggled to find his best form since returning from a broken leg, but the signs were encouraging in Houston. The ball was glued to his feet again, and he took his goal superbly well. LW: Florian Wirtz—8.4: A reminder of how slick Wirtz can be when he has the necessary moving parts around him. He may never be the main man, but that’s no bad thing. Wirtz will thrive under Nagelsmann this summer. ST: Kai Havertz—8.9: After coolly scoring from the penalty spot, Havertz wrapped up proceedings with a tidy dinked finish in the closing stages.SUB: Deniz Undav (64’ for Musiala)—8.8: Couldn’t have asked for more. Undav scored and notched a pair of clever assists off the bench. SUB: Leon Goretzka (73’ for Nmecha)—6.1: Hard to match Nmecha’s stellar midfield performance.SUB: Antonio Rüdiger (73’ for Tah)—6.3: Had no issues dealing with Curaçao’s speedsters in behind. SUB: David Raum (73’ for Brown)—6.3: The surging leftback had a couple of chances to add to Germany’s lead. SUB: Waldemar Anton (83’ for Kimmich)—N/A Subs not used: Oliver Baumann (GK), Alexander Nübel (GK), Jamie Leweling, Nick Woltemade, Pascal Groß, Maximilian Beier, Angelo Stiller, Nadiem Amiri, Malick Thiaw, Assan Ouedraogo.What the Ratings Tell UsNmecha impressed in Houston. | Steph Chambers/FIFA/Getty ImagesIt was teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi who everyone was talking about after Saturday’s matches, and another Premier League-linked midfielder stole the show in Houston, certainly in the first half anyway. Felix Nmecha was outstanding in Germany’s victory, masquerading as a Jude Bellingham-like figure in Nagelsmann’s engine room. If there’s one spot up for grabs in the Germany team, it‘s Leroy Sané’s down the right. Once superb, Sané entered the tournament off the back of a so-so season with Galatasaray, and his lack of cutting edge would‘ve frustrated his manager on Matchday 1. Nagelsmann must be thrilled to have cleared the air with Deniz Undav, ensuring the striker was on the plane to North America. The Stuttgart star may struggle to displace Kai Havertz or Jamal Musiala, but he’s going to be an invaluable weapon off the bench.The Numbers That Explain Germany’s Ruthless VictoryThis was a mismatch, with Germany racking up the highest xG of the World Cup so far (3.91).The Germans were able to exploit and manipulate Curaçao’s back four throughout to create chances, ending the match with 26 shots, 12 of which were on target. StatisticGermanyCuraçaoPosession65%35%xG3.910.40Total Shots268Shots on Target122Big Chances 60Pass Accuracy87%82%Fouls1811Corners81READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow