Havertz double fires Germany to 7-1 rout of Curaçao in World Cup opener

Germany launched their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 7-1 demolition of Curaçao on Sunday, with Kai Havertz netting twice and Julian Nagelsmann insisting the emphatic scoreline was exactly what his side needed after back-to-back group-stage exits in Russia and Qatar.

The result was not without its nervy moments. Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup, levelled at 1-1 in the 21st minute through Livano Comenencia, whose left-footed shot through traffic silenced a crowd of 68,021 that was overwhelmingly backing Germany. The equaliser prompted wild celebrations among the Caribbean island’s supporters.

“Even though it wasn’t me, it felt like it was me, it was all of us, the whole island, everybody,” said Curaçao’s Jearl Margaritha. “We screamed our lungs out.”

Germany restored their lead through Nico Schlotterbeck’s header from a Nathaniel Brown corner in the 38th minute, and Havertz converted a stoppage-time penalty — awarded after Felix Nmecha was tripped by Riechedly Bazoer — to make it 3-1 at the break. The floodgates opened in the second half: Jamal Musiala added a fourth in the 47th minute, Brown got on the scoresheet in the 68th, Deniz Undav struck in the 78th, and Havertz completed his brace in the 88th.

The opening goal had come as early as the sixth minute, when Felix Nmecha swept a first-time right-footed finish into the near post from a Florian Wirtz assist.

“We really needed this convincing win,” Nagelsmann said after the final whistle. “We needed this self-confidence. It was there but it definitely grew. We have to show the fans that we can perform. I think we’re in a better spot than we were entering this match.”

The coach acknowledged the peculiar dynamic of facing a heavy underdog. “One team has very high expectations and the other one doesn’t, and that’s a bit tricky,” he said, before tempering expectations for the rounds ahead. “We are on the right path, but there are things we can do better, and we will have stronger opponents.”

Brown, 22, drew attention beyond his goal. Born in Germany to an American father, he had made clear before the tournament that he would represent the country where he was born and raised by his mother.

The 7-1 margin falls short of the World Cup record — Hungary’s 10-1 defeat of El Salvador in 1982 — but it represents a statement of intent from a Germany side desperate to recapture the form that brought them the 2014 title.