LIVEBLOG: Germany vs. Curaçao - 2026 FIFA World Cup

The confirmed lineups for Julian Nagelsmann's Germany and Dick Advocaat's Curaçao are in this article. Both were released by their national federations within the last hour.

https://bulinews.com/confirmed-fifa-world-cup-2026-lineups-germany-curacao

And, of course, if you want to read our match preview, where we highlight everything that you need to know about this match, you can find it here:

https://bulinews.com/news/35415/germany-curacao

The three on-field officials are from Morocco: Jalal Jayed will oversee the proceedings, with Zakaria Brinisi and Mostafa Arkakad covering the lines. South African referee Tom Abongile is the fourth official.

Moroccan VAR official Hamza El Fariq will lead the video team in Dallas, with Colombian Nicolás Gallo and Australian Shaun Evans as his assistants.

1': GERMANY 0-0 CURAÇAO

And Germany's twenty-first FIFA World Cup campaign is officially underway! Sontje Hansen with the first kick for Curaçao, who, in blue, will kick left to right. Germany, in their famous white uniforms, will go in the other direction when on the attack.

3': GERMANY 0-0 CURAÇAO

Free kick for Curaçao in the midfield as Aleksandar Pavlović pushes Jürgen Locadia to the ground. The Caribbean side progressively passed the ball along the right side of the German half, hoping to find an opening somewhere - but Sharel Floranus' long ball misses Locadia and the DFB-Team will get a goal kick.

6': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(F. Nmecha - assist: F. Wirtz)

Jamal Musiala's initial shot on the left side of the box is blocked by Armando Obispo, but the Germans regroup. Florian Wirtz and Felix Nmecha connect on a series of passes, with the Borussia Dortmund defensive midfielder curling the ball past an unmoving Eloy Room and into the right side of the goal! It's game on in Houston as Germany opens the scoring after just six minutes of action!

8': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

Nmecha has another go, this time from the edge of the box and towards the top-left corner. Room leaps to hopefully get a hand on it, but the attempt misses the left post by a few metres and Curaçao will have a goal kick as a result.

10': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

Leroy Sané finds space between Obispo and Deveron Fonville on the right side of the box before receiving a through ball from Jamal Musiala. With Obispo converging on him, he attempts a quick right-footed attempt, but hits it off the wrong side of his boot and it is a low roller to the left of the Curaçao goal.

13': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

Nmecha leaps to meet a long ball from Joshua Kimmich in the centre of the box, but coming back down, he accidentally touches the ball and without much power on it, it rolls into the hands of Room. In the seconds that follow, Wirtz tries another shot from distance on the left side of the Curacao third, but whistles it wide of the right post.

16': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

The left side of the German XI has been performing very well so far. Brown and Schlotterbeck have started the bulk of the attacking chances, with the latter maintaining a 23 / 25 passing rate (92 %); he then supplies the ball to Nmecha, who in turn either decides to go for an attempt or supply a short pass to Wirtz at the edge of / inside the box.

19': GERMANY 1-0 CURAÇAO

Leroy Sané makes a defensive interception at the edge of the box, winning the ball back from Juninho Bacuna; however, the ball lands to Juninho's older brother Leandro Bacuna - who takes a left-footed attempt from 30 metres out but smashes it well over the bar. On the ensuing counter, Wirtz supplies a cross into the centre of the box, but Kai Havertz cannot take full advantage and it bounces out of play to his right.

21': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

CURAÇAO GOAL

(L. Comerencia - assist: J. Locadia)

Jürgen Locadia weaves his way into the right side of the box. Joshua Kimmich slides in to block the initial attempt, then attempts to tap the ball away from danger. Unfortunately for the Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg-born right-back, Livano Comerencia rushes into the space and takes a right-footed attempt off the gloves of Manuel Neuer and over the line. Curaçao have their first-ever FIFA World Cup goal and the scores are level within the first half-hour in Houston.

24': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Into the first cooling break of the match at NRG Stadium, which is one of five indoor venues at this World Cup (the other four: Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, AT&T Stadium - Arlington, SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, BC Place - Vancouver).

What do you think of Germany's performance so far? If you have any comments or questions that you want to see showcased here on the liveblog, feel free to send me a message on X (@kettusport) or Instagram (@kettusport_) - I will be putting your thoughts on the match up here at stoppages in this match or during the halftime break. We look forward to hearing from you!

26': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

The Bacuna brothers go up against Jamal Musiala on the right side of the Curaçao third, sending the FC Bayern attacking midfielder to the ground. Free kick, which his Bayern teammate Kimmich will deliver into the centre of the box.

28': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Kimmich with a precise cross into the centre of the box - Nico Schlotterbeck leaps over Sharel Floranus and powers a header just under the crossbar towards the centre of the goal. Eloy Room punches it away with his right hand - corner to Germany. What a chance to regain the lead!

29': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Kimmich's cross is punched away by Room, but Germany regroup and enter the right side of the box just seconds later. Musiala darts towards the Curaçao goal area on his own, but a sweeping slide tackle from Comerencia knocks the ball away for another corner. Germany unfazed by the equaliser, maintaining momentum with 73 % possession.

30': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Now it's Pavlović with a chance of his own from the edge of the box - but Fonville slides to deflect it with his right leg, and it bounces for another corner, the third for the Germans in the last six minutes. Kimmich with the ensuing corner delivery, but this time, Obispo heads it away and it gives Curaçao some time to regroup.

32': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Kimmich with a through ball into the centre of the box for Sané. The Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen-born winger hopes to pick out the bottom-right corner with what looked to be a curling shot, but the body of Fonville makes yet another block. Wirtz runs into the open space, hoping to grab onto the rebound, but he loses his footing and falls to the ground.

36': GERMANY 1-1 CURAÇAO

Juninho Bacuna with a chance from long-range, but it does not test Neuer too much, going well over the bar. The German counterattack sees Nmecha thread the ball to Wirtz on the right side - but the Liverpool attacking midfielder's shot is blocked by the leg of Riechedly Bazoer and out of play for a corner. Nathaniel Brown will take the set-piece.

38': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(N. Schlotterbeck - assist: N. Brown)

Nathaniel Brown with a near-post cross from the right side of the Curaçao third - and Nico Schlotterbeck times his header perfectly, deflecting the ball past Eloy Room and into the bottom-left corner! Germany retake the lead seven minutes from halftime in Houston, 2-1 the score to the DFB-Team.

40': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

Wirtz attempts to lob the ball into the right side of the box, but Sané cannot get there in time - when he does, Fonville already has the inside angle and pushes him off his mark as the ball rolls out of play for a goal kick to the Caribbean side. Sané believes that there is a foul on the play, visibly frustrated - but Jalal Jayed allows for play to continue as normal.

42': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

Wirtz with a short pass to Musiala on the left side of the box. Swarmed by Obispo and Comenenda, Musiala performs a 90-degree turn with the ball, then reverses to get them out of the way before attempting a ground pass to the goal area - hoping to find Havertz. Room charges out and grabs onto the ball with both hands before the Arsenal striker could slide in.

44': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

Germany continue to press from the left side of the Curaçao penalty area. Wirtz gets past Fonville, hoping to make a direct run towards the goal area or deliver a cross - but Comenenda lunges with his right boot and pokes it away for a corner. The corner goes far-post, Schlotterbeck heads it towards goal but Juninho Bacuna deflects it away for another set piece, which Brown will take.

45': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

Brown's corner is punched away by Room and cleared by Comenenda. Kimmich gets on the receiving end of the long ball and sends a short pass to Musiala, who finds open space on the left side of the box before blasting a shot off Room close to the goal area. Sané and Pavlović take two attempts from the centre of the box in quick succession from the rebound, but Juninho Bacuna clears and Leandro hoofs it away for a throw to the Germans on the right side, close to the middle of the ground.

45+1': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

South African fourth official Tom Abougile confirms that there will be four additional minutes to the first half.

45+2': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

Tahith Chong gets past Jonathan Tah and sends a through ball to Comenencia at the edge of the box; the latter tries to pick out the top-right corner, but it does not test Neuer too much as he grabs on with both hands.

45+4': GERMANY 2-1 CURAÇAO

PENALTY - GERMANY

Nmecha gets past Leandro Bacuna in the centre of the box, but Bazoer lunges in with a sliding tackle - sending Nmecha to the ground. Jalal Jayed points to the spot and Germany will have their first penalty of this tournament! Kai Havertz to take, with a chance to score the third World Cup goal of his professional career.

45+6': GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(K. Havertz - penalty)

Cool, calm, collected, Kai Havertz sends Eloy Room the other way and slots the penalty into the bottom-left corner to put Germany ahead by two! It is also the last kick of the opening term, as Jalal Jayed sends both sides to the change rooms.

HT: GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

Shots in the first half finished 16-4 to Germany, 6-2 on target. Julian Nagelsmann's side held 71 % possession in that span, and with a 7 % better passing accuracy - 88 % on 288 passes, compared to 81 % on 112 for Dick Advocaat's Curaçao.

HT: GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

Since Nagelsmann moved Aleksandar Pavlović to the left side of the defensive midfield and Felix Nmecha to the right, the latter has contributed well to upgrading Germany's attack on that part of the ground - with Musiala and Havertz much more involved in the final 15 minutes of the opening term. Nmecha has a 92 % pass accuracy this afternoon, 24 / 26 overall and 20 / 21 in the Curaçao half.

HT: GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

Both sides have returned to the ground for the start of the second half. Sontje Hansen is replaced by Jeremy Antonisse at ST, as Curaçao will look to get a goal back in the first few minutes of the term. Curaçao switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-1-2, potentially looking to put a strain on the German wing-backs with this formation.

46': GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

Kai Havertz with the opening kick of the second half as he passes short to Florian Wirtz. Germany, in white, now going right to left on the attack; when Curaçao get their opportunities, they will go left to right.

46': GERMANY 3-1 CURAÇAO

Musiala is knocked down by Comenenda in the middle of the Curaçao half, and the Germans will take this free kick short.

47': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(J. Musiala - assist: J. Kimmich)

It did not take long, did it? Within a minute and a half, Germany add to their lead in the second term, as the short free kick quickly goes from Sané to Kimmich on the right side of the box - threaded to Musiala for a quick right-footed shot past the pressing Bazoer, past a charging Room and into the bottom-left corner!

49': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

There was the risk that Curaçao would start the second half strong with their 4-3-1-2, but Musiala shuts it down and Germany should see this one out with a dominant performance to pick up their first three points. As I am writing this, Nmecha nearly goes for a fifth, as his shot from the right side of the goal area is tipped over the bar by a leaping Room - another corner to the DFB-Team.

52': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

Looking through some statistics here, and this is an interesting one: Jamal Musiala's goal, assisted by Joshua Kimmich, is the ninth time in the last 60 years that two Bayern players combine for a goal + assist contribution at a FIFA World Cup tournament. The only two teams with more: Ukrainian side FC Dynamo Kyiv (11) and Portuguese giants SL Benfica (10).

54': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

Havertz cannot get a decent enough angle for a shot on target on the right side of the box, so he passes to Nmecha to his right and in open space. Nmecha spots Pavlović at the edge of the area and knocks a ground pass his way, but Pavlović's ensuing right-footed attempt is not even close to Room and goes well over the bar.

58': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

Free kick to Curaçao, as Jonathan Tah brings down Locadia. Antonisse with the cross into the centre of the box for Leandro Bacuna, whose header goes just above Neuer and out.

62': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

Sané had an incredible chance to make it five after taking a long ball from Tah into the centre of the box - he acrobatically brings the pass down, has a running Room beat but curls it well over the bar!

65': GERMANY 4-1 CURAÇAO

Jürgen Locadia is replaced by Jearl Margaritha at ST, in the second change for Dick Advocaat's Curaçao tonight. Jamal Musiala is also brought off by Julian Nagelsmann, with Deniz Undav replacing him at CAM in Germany's 4-2-3-1.

68': GERMANY 5-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(N. Brown - assist: D. Undav)

It's a five-star performance from the DFB-Team in Space City! A beautifully-crafted goal by Undav, who makes an instant impact with a perfect flick off a pass from Wirtz that goes above a diving Comenenda. Brown takes advantage on the left side of the box and taps the ball into the bottom-right corner, past a diving Room, to make this a 5-1 lead for Germany with just over twenty minutes remaining!

72': GERMANY 5-1 CURAÇAO

Into the second cooling break - and there are a pair of changes to report as Julian Nagelsmann wants to rest his starting eleven for the second match against Côte d'Ivoire in Toronto next weekend. Nathaniel Brown and Jonathan Tah are done for the afternoon, as David Raum and Antonio Rüdiger will replace them at LB and RCB.

74': GERMANY 5-1 CURAÇAO

Margaritha with one of the best chances for Curaçao today, but his attempt from distance flashes over the top-left corner and out for a goal kick to Neuer. Felix Nmecha will leave this match at CDM, replaced by Leon Goretzka.

77': GERMANY 6-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(D. Undav - assist: J. Kimmich)

It's six, and it's Undav with a goal of his own - just nine minutes after an assist and thirteen after entering! Joshua Kimmich with an unselfish move not to go direct after taking a long pass across the face of the area from Havertz, instead setting up the VfB Stuttgart forward for a low attempt into the bottom-left corner. Leandro Bacuna does his best to keep the ball in play, but by the time that he taps it, it's already over the line. This is Undav's seventh goal in his last seven appearances in a German kit.

81': GERMANY 6-1 CURAÇAO

It looks like Tahith Chong will be leaving the match, replaced by Gervane Kastaneer at CAM. Germany will also be making their fifth and final change, with Joshua Kimmich exiting at RB for Waldemar Anton. Three of the substitutions have been along the back line, which is expected to face more pressure against Côte d'Ivoire and especially Ecuador in the next two weeks.

85': GERMANY 6-1 CURAÇAO

Germany playing with a high attacking line as the wing-backs move forward - Schlotterbeck and Rüdiger are the only two staying behind. Raum has a chance on the left side of the box, but is turned away by Room, who stretches out to knock it away with his right hand.

89': GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!

(K. Havertz - assist: D. Undav)

Deniz Undav with a through ball into the left side of the Curaçao penalty area, and Kai Havertz latches onto it - chipping the ball above a slide-tackling Kastaneer, behind Room and into the bottom-centre of the goal. If this result holds, it will be the second time that Germany win a FIFA World Cup match by a 7-1 margin.

The other time Germany won 7-1 - well, that was quite an evening of football, was it not?

90+1': GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

There will be 5 minutes of additional time to the second half in Houston. With three points likely to be enough for any team to go through to the knockouts - given that eight out of twelve third-placed teams qualify - Germany have pretty much booked their place into the Round of 32 in this one match with that and a +6 goal differential. Not surprising, though, given that Germany are favoured by many journalists and fans to finish top of this group by the time that everything finishes on 25. June.

90+3': GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

Pavlović's short pass into the centre of the box, intended for Goretzka, is intercepted by Obispo and cleared away. A scramble ensues at the edge of the area, and Juninho Bacuna trips up Musiala to force a free kick to Germany, a chance for an eighth marker this afternoon.

90+5': GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

Raum and Havertz had the right idea as a cross into the right side of the box is tapped to the centre of the box by the FC Arsenal striker - however, Goretzka mistimes his run and the ball slips away from his right boot.

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

Jalal Jayed calls time on a dominant German victory against Curaçao to open the DFB-Team's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign - 7-1 against Curaçao. Kai Havertz finished with two goals; Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav with one each. This does not even include the assists, which were registered by Joshua Kimmich (twice), Deniz Undav (twice), Florian Wirtz, and Nathaniel Brown.

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

The only Curaçao goal came from Livano Comenenda - who, in the process, scored their first-ever at a FIFA World Cup tournament. Massive respect to Dick Advocaat's side, who not only had a memorable qualification round, but had a decent first half against one of the top ten sides in the FIFA World Ranking while seventy-two places behind their opponents.

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

This is not the only match of the day, as there are still three others remaining: Netherlands - Japan at 22.00 (CET), Côte d'Ivoire - Ecuador at 01.00 (CET), and Sweden - Tunisia at 04.00 (CET). The middle matchup is the other one in this group, and Germany will be watching closely to see (A) whether they have a two-point advantage in this group, and (B) what their opponents will bring to the table in the following matches on Saturday, 20. June and Thursday, 25. June.

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

Shots in the second half finished 10-4 to Germany, 6-0 on target, with 60 % possession and an 85 % pass accuracy on 263 passes, compared to 83 % on 168 for Curaçao. Overall, Germany outshot Curaçao 20-8 and 12-2 on target with 65 % possession and an 87 % accuracy on 551 passes, versus 82 % on 281.

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

With that said, stay on the Bulinews website for post-match coverage as our team gathers interviews from Julian Nagelsmann and some of the key players this evening. And, of course, I will be back here on the Bulinews website for Germany's second match of Group E against Côte d'Ivoire, which is here in Toronto this Saturday at 16.00 (EDT) / 22.00 (CET). Liveblog coverage will start an hour earlier, at 15.00 (EDT) / 21.00 (CET).

FT: GERMANY 7-1 CURAÇAO

That is it for this liveblog. Once again, our liveblog coverage for the match against Côte d'Ivoire will start at 15.00 (EDT) / 21.00 (CET) on Saturday, as the DFB-Team will look to go two-for-two in Group E at this 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. But that is it for now, as it finishes in Houston - Germany 7, Curaçao 1. Thanks for reading our continuing coverage of the German national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and have a good night. Tschüss!