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Germany faces Curaçao this Sunday at the in an unprecedented match that kicks off the activities of Group E of the , with the Mannschaft bearing the burden of two consecutive eliminations in the group stage that tarnished one of the most glorious histories in world football.
Since winning its fourth title in Brazil 2014, Germany has only won two of its last six World Cup matches: against Sweden in 2018 and Costa Rica in 2022, both victories insufficient to avoid elimination in the first round in Russia and Qatar.
The recent history of debuts is equally concerning: the German national team lost 1-0 to Mexico in 2018 and 2-1 to Japan in 2022, making today's match a test of character before the tournament becomes more challenging.
However, Julian Nagelsmann's team arrives at its best moment in recent months.
Germany has amassed nine consecutive victories after suffering three straight defeats between June and September 2025. So far in 2026, they have won all four of their matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding five.
In the World Cup preparation, they won 4-0 against Finland, with goals from Undav twice, Wirtz, and Musiala, and then defeated the United States 2-1 in Chicago with goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané.
One of the key figures to watch will be Manuel Neuer: the goalkeeper, at 40 years and 79 days old, is set to become the oldest player in Germany's history to participate in a World Cup, surpassing Lothar Matthäus, and he could be the second German to play in five World Cups.
The match will also have a historical element on the sidelines: Dick Advocaat, the coach of Curaçao, will become the oldest coach to manage a World Cup match at 78 years and 260 days, surpassing the record set by Otto Rehhagel in 2010.
Furthermore, Advocaat will be 40 years older than Nagelsmann, who is 38, marking the largest age difference between two coaches in a World Cup match.
For Curaçao, today’s match is purely historic: the Caribbean island, with just over 150,000 inhabitants, is competing in its first World Cup and has become the smallest nation to qualify for the tournament's final phase, surpassing the record previously held by Iceland since Russia 2018.
Its roster has an interesting characteristic: 25 of its 26 players were born in the Netherlands, and the only member born on the island is Tahith Chong.
In preparation, Curaçao lost 4-1 to Scotland on May 30, with a goal from Chong, and then defeated Aruba 4-0 with goals from Brenet, Antonisse, Comenencia, and Juninho Bacuna.
The statistical challenge for Caribbean teams is enormous: the last debuting team to win its first World Cup match was Senegal, which surprised the defending champion France with a 1-0 victory in 2002.
The E Group will continue this Sunday with the match between Ivory Coast and Ecuador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Germany will return to the field on June 20 against Ivory Coast in Toronto before closing the group stage on June 25 against Ecuador at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, where the Mannschaft cannot afford any more setbacks if it wants to reclaim its rightful place in the .
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