Germany thrash Curacao 7-1 in World Cup opener as debutants make history

Houston: Germany began their World Cup campaign with a commanding 7–1 victory over debutants Curacao, in a match that combined a dominant performance with historic moments for both teams.Felix Nmecha opened the scoring after just six minutes with the fastest goal of the tournament so far. Germany extended their lead through Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav, with Havertz scoring twice.Historic moment for CuracaoDespite the heavy defeat, Curacao made history when Livano Comenencia scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal in the 21st minute, drawing the loudest reaction from the crowd of 68,021.The Caribbean nation also became the smallest country by population and area to compete at the World Cup finals.Curacao were led by Dick Advocaat, who, at 78, became the oldest coach in World Cup history.“We expected to do more against Germany, but they were too strong,” Advocaat said. “Despite this 7–1 outcome, the joy of the fans is fantastic. This is not a disgrace, we can still be proud.”Germany in controlGermany regained the lead before half-time through Schlotterbeck and took full control in the second half, adding further goals through Havertz, Musiala, Brown and Undav.Coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side showed strong overall performance despite the brief setback after conceding the equaliser.“It took us a few minutes to get back into the game after they equalised,” he said. “A winning start is always important.”Records and milestonesGoalkeeper Manuel Neuer, recalled to the squad, became the oldest player to feature for Germany at a major tournament at the age of 40.The result echoed Germany’s famous 7–1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, although this match was less dramatic and more controlled.Opening statementGermany’s dominant display underlined their status as contenders in the tournament, while Curacao’s historic appearance and goal provided a significant milestone for the nation despite the scoreline.Both teams now look ahead to their remaining Group E matches as the competition progresses.