Germany kicked off their FIFA World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory over debutants Curacao in Houston on Monday. The win marked the biggest victory of the tournament so far and saw Germany surpass Brazil as the all-time leading goal-scorers in World Cup history, with 239 goals to Brazil's 238.
Early Dominance and Curacao's Historic Goal
The four-time champions started strongly, taking the lead in the sixth minute through Felix Nmecha, who finished clinically after receiving a pass from Florian Wirtz. However, Curacao responded in the 21st minute with their first-ever World Cup goal, scored by Commenencia, leveling the match and delighting their 78-year-old manager Dick Advocaat.
Germany Regains Control
Germany restored their lead in the 38th minute when Nico Schlotterbeck scored from a Nathaniel Brown assist. Just before halftime, Kai Havertz converted a penalty after Nmecha was fouled, making the score 3-1 at the break. Germany dominated possession with nearly 70% and had 16 shots in the first half.
Second-Half Goalfest
After the interval, Jamal Musiala scored in the 46th minute from a Joshua Kimmich assist. Nathaniel Brown added a fifth in the 69th minute, set up by Deniz Undav. Undav then scored himself in the 78th minute, and Havertz completed his brace in the 88th minute with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper.
Record-Breaking Performance
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer became Germany's oldest World Cup appearance-maker at 40 years and 79 days. Germany ended the match with 64.7% possession and 26 shots to Curacao's eight. This was the fourth time Germany has scored seven or more goals in a World Cup match, the most by any team.
