Germany begins World Cup redemption bid against tournament debutants Curaçao in Houston
Germany, eager to end a streak of two first-round exits, open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to qualify, at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday evening.
Germany’s chance to bury ghosts
Four-time world champions Germany launch their Group E fixtures with a match they are expected to win comfortably. Yet the weight of recent history makes this opener anything but a formality. The Nationalmannschaft has not played a World Cup knockout game since the 2014 final victory over Argentina; they crashed out in the group stage in 2018 and again in 2022. Julian Nagelsmann, who took over after the last disappointment, now leads a squad under pressure to deliver a clean start. Around half of the expected starters are over 30, and seven players from the last World Cup meeting against Costa Rica remain in the group, raising questions about renewal.
- Germany defeats Argentina 1‑0 in extra time to win the World Cup in Brazil.
- Germany is eliminated in the group stage, finishing bottom behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea.
- Another group-stage exit, this time behind Japan and Spain despite a win over Costa Rica.
- Germany faces World Cup debutants Curaçao in the Group E opener in Houston.
Wirtz and Musiala carry the creative load
The younger generation’s hopes rest largely on Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, both 23. At the last European Championship, where Germany fell to eventual winners Spain in the quarter-finals, Musiala stood out with three goals in five matches and made the team of the tournament, while Wirtz also impressed. Their club campaigns just ended, however, have been far from ideal. Wirtz moved to Liverpool for close to €150 million but struggled to settle, only becoming decisive in the Premier League in late December. Musiala missed most of the year after a serious injury suffered during the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain; he returned in January and was limited to a substitute role until an injury to Serge Gnabry increased his minutes.
An unexpected return and a painful absence
The squad received a surprise lift when 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer reversed his international retirement and made himself available. His experience will be vital, especially after the late preparation injury to teenage prodigy Lennart Karl, who will miss the tournament entirely. The probable German eleven provided by previews features Neuer behind a back four of Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck and Raum, with Pavlovic and Goretzka in midfield and Sané, Musiala, Wirtz supporting Kai Havertz in attack.
Curaçao’s historic debut
In the other dugout, Curaçao will be living a fairy tale. The Caribbean island of roughly 160,000 inhabitants, ranked 83rd by FIFA, is competing at its first World Cup and is the smallest nation by population ever to reach the finals. The squad, nicknamed the Blue Wave, includes seasoned professionals such as brothers Juninho and Leandro Bacuna, who have played for Rangers and Aston Villa respectively. Their line‑up is likely to be built around goalkeeper Room, defenders Sambo, van Eijma, Obispo and Floranus, and forwards Hansen, Locadia and Gorré.
Broadcast and group context
The match from Houston’s NRG Stadium kicks off at 19:00 local time and will be shown free‑to‑air on M6 and on beIN Sports 1 in France. Group E also features Ivory Coast and Ecuador, who meet in Philadelphia in the early hours of Monday. With qualification for the round of 16 possibly decided on goal difference, Germany will be keen to rack up a convincing scoreline against the group’s underdog.
