Germany thrash Curaçao 7-1 as Kai Havertz nets twice in World Cup opener
Kai Havertz scored twice as a ruthless Germany began their World Cup campaign with a 7-1 victory over tournament debutants Curaçao in Houston.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring for the four-time champions in the sixth minute with a powerful right-footed strike into the near post.
The Caribbean nation responded magnificently when Livano Comenencia struck through traffic to register his country’s first ever goal on the global stage.
However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side quickly extinguished any hopes of a monumental upset.
Ruthless attacking display from European giants
Nico Schlotterbeck restored the European side’s advantage with a towering header from Nathaniel Brown’s corner shortly before the interval.
The Arsenal forward then converted a stoppage-time penalty to establish a 3-1 half-time lead after Nmecha was brought down inside the penalty area.
Jamal Musiala wasted no time extending the advantage immediately after the restart with a precise finish across the goalkeeper.
The relentless pressure continued as Brown found the net in the 68th minute to make it five.
Redemption mission begins for historic squad
Deniz Undav added a sixth goal ten minutes later, before Havertz completed his brace in the closing stages to seal a resounding Group E triumph.
The comprehensive victory represents a crucial statement of intent following consecutive group-stage exits in Russia and Qatar.
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who recently emerged from international retirement at the age of 40, enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon with just a single save to make.
The fixture also made history on the touchline by featuring the largest age gap between managers in the history of the competition.
Curaçao’s 78-year-old manager Dick Advocaat became the oldest coach to ever participate in the tournament, while his 38-year-old counterpart is the youngest at this year’s edition.
