Germany 7-1 Curacao - 2014 Déjà Vu and a First World Cup Goal for a Nation Smaller Than Houston
Comenencia lit up Houston, then Musiala and Havertz ran riot. Seven goals, echoes of the Brazil rout, and a national-team World Cup record.
A 7-1 scoreline for Germany gives you goosebumps for a reason. In 2014, it was the semifinal night in Belo Horizonte. In 2026, it was the Group E opener at Houston Stadium - and the seven was back on the board.
But this story did not start with Germany. It started with Curacao - the smallest nation at the tournament, a debutant whose fans came to celebrate not a win, but simply being at the World Cup.
In the 21st minute, Livano Comenencia struck, the ball flicked off Joshua Kimmich’s knee and flew in. Curacao’s first World Cup goal ever. The bench erupted. The stands exploded. For a second, it felt like football could still write fairy tales for underdogs.
The fairy tale did not last long.
Felix Nmecha had already opened the scoring in the 6th minute, but after Comenencia’s equalizer Germany flipped into Julian Nagelsmann mode: Nico Schlotterbeck from a corner, a Kai Havertz penalty in first-half stoppage time, then after the break - Jamal Musiala, debutant Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav, and another Havertz goal in the 88th. Final score - 7-1.
Numbers worth remembering:
- Germany’s first opening-match World Cup win since 2014 - the same tournament they lifted the trophy
- 7-1 mirrors the famous Brazil scoreline; the BBC noted Germany passed the Selecao as the World Cup’s all-time top scorers with 239 goals
- Curacao’s population is around 150,000 - smaller than a Houston suburb where the game was played
- Coach Dick Advocaat said afterwards: the fans are thrilled, and this is no disgrace - Ecuador and Ivory Coast still lie ahead
For Comenencia and his country, this night is forever - a first goal on the world stage. For Germany, a message to the rest of Group E: Ecuador and Ivory Coast watched and understood the fight will be brutal.
Germany face Ivory Coast on June 20 in Toronto. Curacao meet Ecuador on June 21 in Kansas City. But the social media conversation right now is one thing: seven goals, one historic moment for a tiny nation, and the feeling that the 2014 flywheel is spinning again.