Germany Runs Riot as Havertz and Musiala Lead Seven-Goal World Cup Masterclass

By Alonso Contreras

HOUSTON, Texas — Germany delivered one of the most dominant performances of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, overwhelming Curaçao 7-1 in their Group E opener and sending a clear message to the rest of the tournament field.

Despite a brief scare in the first half, Julian Nagelsmann's side showcased its attacking depth, creativity, and ruthless finishing in front of a packed crowd, turning the match into a showcase of German firepower.

The four-time world champions needed only six minutes to break through. Florian Wirtz slipped a clever pass into Felix Nmecha, who curled a first-time finish into the corner to give Germany an early 1-0 advantage.

Germany continued to dominate possession and create chances, but Curaçao stunned the favorites in the 21st minute. After a scramble inside the penalty area, Livano Comenencia fired home a deflected effort that beat Manuel Neuer, scoring Curaçao’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal and leveling the match at 1-1.

The equalizer briefly energized the underdogs, but Germany quickly regained control.

Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead in the 38th minute, rising highest to meet Nathaniel Brown’s corner and powering a header beyond Eloy Room. Moments before halftime, Germany earned a penalty when Felix Nmecha was brought down inside the area. Kai Havertz stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to send Germany into the break with a comfortable 3-1 lead.

Any hopes of a Curaçao comeback disappeared almost immediately after halftime.

Just two minutes into the second half, Joshua Kimmich threaded a perfect pass into the path of Jamal Musiala, who finished clinically to make it 4-1. Germany never looked back.

Brown added his first international goal in the 68th minute after a clever flick from substitute Deniz Undav opened space inside the box. Ten minutes later, Undav got on the scoresheet himself, finishing off another flowing team move after unselfish work from Kimmich.

Havertz completed his brace in the 88th minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Undav before delicately lifting his finish over Room to cap a memorable afternoon for the Arsenal striker and the German attack.

Germany finished with seven goals from seven different major attacking contributions, highlighting the balance and depth that make Nagelsmann’s squad one of the favorites to lift the trophy on home soil's neighboring continent.

While Curaçao deserves credit for making history with its first World Cup goal, the gulf in quality ultimately proved overwhelming. Goalkeeper Eloy Room prevented an even larger scoreline with several key saves throughout the match.

For Germany, however, this was nearly a perfect opening performance. Kimmich controlled the midfield, Musiala dazzled between the lines, Wirtz dictated the tempo, and Havertz delivered the finishing touch.

The emphatic victory puts Germany atop Group E and immediately establishes them as one of the tournament's most dangerous teams. With tougher tests still to come, the Germans could hardly have scripted a more convincing start to their World Cup campaign.