Curaçao scores first World Cup goal in 1-1 draw with Germany
Livano Comenencia became the first player to score for Curaçao at a men's World Cup, equalising in the 21st minute against Germany in Houston on Sunday.
A debut to remember
Curaçao, appearing at their first ever World Cup, did not wait long to leave a mark. In their opening Group E match against four-time champions Germany, the Caribbean island nation found themselves trailing early, but a powerful strike from Livano Comenencia in the 21st minute levelled the score at 1-1. The goal was Curaçao's first at a men's World Cup finals, a moment celebrated by the roughly 150,000 inhabitants of the Dutch Caribbean territory.
The move began with urgency as Comenencia drove forward from the right flank. His shot, described as a fierce strike, took a decisive deflection off German midfielder Joshua Kimmich before looping over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The goal silenced the German contingent inside the Houston stadium and ignited wild celebrations among the Curaçao players.
Who is Livano Comenencia
Born in Breda in the Netherlands, the 22-year-old midfielder opted to represent Curaçao through his parents and was called up by head coach Dick Advocaat for the 2026 tournament. A versatile player capable of operating at right-back and in midfield, Comenencia spent time in Italy with Juventus, joining their Next Gen (reserve) side in 2023 for a fee of around 500,000 euros. Over two seasons he made 70 appearances, scoring three goals and providing eight assists in Serie C. In 2025 he moved to Swiss club FC Zürich for approximately 400,000 euros.
His history-making goal was celebrated far beyond Houston. In a message on social media, Portuguese broadcaster Sport TV called the equaliser a surprise and posted a clip of the strike that quickly spread online.
Group E context
The match was the first for both sides in Group E, which also includes Ecuador and Ivory Coast. Germany, coached by Julian Nagelsmann, entered as one of the pre-tournament favourites, having won the World Cup four times. Curaçao's goal ensured the group opener ended level, keeping the group finely poised ahead of the evening's other fixture.
