Germany began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a commanding 7-1 win over tournament debutants Curaçao on Sunday, Kai Havertz scoring twice as the four-time champions pulled clear of the smallest nation ever to qualify for the finals. The Group E rout, played in Houston, gave Julian Nagelsmann's side an emphatic opening statement and a healthy goal difference to carry into the rest of the group.
Curaçao, a Caribbean island of roughly 150,000 people, had made history simply by reaching the expanded 48-team tournament, but were overwhelmed once Germany found their rhythm, conceding repeatedly either side of half-time before grabbing a consolation. The scoreline matched the kind of margin that the bigger seeds have been chasing in a format that rewards goal difference across the group stage.
The day's drama came in Dallas, where Japan snatched a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on a header from Daichi Kamada deep in stoppage time. Kamada rose highest from a corner in the 89th minute and his effort slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, denying the Dutch a win they had looked to be holding and rescuing a point for the Samurai Blue in their Group F opener.
For the Netherlands the late lapse was a costly one, turning a hard-earned three points into a share of the spoils and leaving Group F tightly bunched after the opening round. Japan, appearing at their eighth straight World Cup, will take heart from a comeback that underscored their reputation for resilience against higher-ranked European opposition.
Two more matches rounded out the Sunday schedule. Ivory Coast faced Ecuador in Philadelphia in a Group E fixture that will shape the chase behind Germany, while Sweden met Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, in Group F — the day's slate spread, as ever in this tournament, across all three host nations.
The results extended an opening week that has mixed routs with upsets across the three host countries. The United States sit top of Group D after a 4-1 win over Paraguay, Mexico and South Korea opened Group A with victories, and Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco, leaving several of the seeded favorites with ground still to make up.
With the group stage barely a week old, the early picture is one of wide margins for the strongest sides and fine lines elsewhere — Germany's seven goals at one end of the spectrum, Japan's last-gasp equalizer at the other. The second round of group fixtures will begin to separate the contenders from the teams already under pressure.