Germany Crush Curaçao 7-1 in World Cup Opener
Germany started their World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory over debutants Curaçao on Sunday.
Germany's men's national football team began their World Cup campaign with a resounding 7-1 win over tournament debutants Curaçao on Sunday. The match was part of the first 48-team World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Kai Havertz scored twice for Germany, while Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav each found the net once. Curaçao's first-ever World Cup goal was scored by Livano Comenencia.
Germany took the lead in the sixth minute when Nmecha fired home from the edge of the box after a pass from Florian Wirtz. Curaçao equalized midway through the first half through Comenencia, but Schlotterbeck restored Germany's lead in the 38th minute with a header from a corner. Havertz converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to make it 3-1 at halftime.
In the second half, Musiala scored early after a pass from Joshua Kimmich. Brown added a goal in the 68th minute from an Undav assist, before Undav himself scored in the 78th minute. Havertz completed his brace with ten minutes to go, sealing the 7-1 victory.
This World Cup features 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. The group stage ends on June 27, with the knockout rounds starting June 28. Semi-finals are scheduled for July 14 and 15, with the final on July 19.
