World Cup 2026: Germany Run Riot After Curaçao Dream But Did FIFA’s Hydration Break Kill the Upset?

Germany overpowered tournament debutants Curaçao to begin their World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory at the NRG Stadium in Houston — but not before the tiny Caribbean island enjoyed one of the most celebrated moments of the tournament so far and briefly threatened something extraordinary.

When Livano Comenencia cancelled out Felix Nmecha’s excellent opener midway through the first half, there were wild scenes of celebration among the Curaçao fans who had managed to get tickets. Ranked 82nd in the world, with a population of just over 150,000, any kind of positive result against the four-time world champions would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

But Germany — helped, controversially, by the hydration break (more on that below) — kept their composure. They were 3-1 up by half-time through Nico Schlotterbeck’s header and a Kai Havertz penalty. Second-half strikes from Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav, and a second from Havertz completed a dominant win.

The result gives Germany a commanding early lead in Group E as they await the outcome of Ivory Coast vs Ecuador.

Germany: Gifted Going Forward, Brittle at the Back

Did this game tell us whether Germany can be genuine contenders at this tournament? Not really — this was never the match that would answer that question. But it confirmed everything we already knew: Nagelsmann has some decadently gifted playmakers who can combine beautifully, while his team retains a brittle quality defensively that makes them vulnerable.

Even against a nation competing at their first-ever World Cup, Germany conceded a goal and were made uncomfortable for a significant period. Prior to the first-half hydration break, Curaçao looked relatively dangerous on the break, mining chances despite their obvious disadvantages in quality and experience.

Philipp Lahm had recently expressed concern in his column for The Athletic that Germany do not defend well enough as a team and that to go far at this tournament, they would need to become more compact without the ball and better at suppressing counter-attacks. Curaçao proved him right. Imagine what a stronger team might do?

This is a systemic problem the Germans have not resolved. They lack the outstanding individual quality they once had in certain positions, and it is more than just personnel — it is a team-wide issue.

At the other end of the pitch, though, things were considerably more promising. Wirtz, Musiala, and Havertz combined with genuine flair, and Nmecha — beyond just his goal — demonstrated what a threat he can be in attacking situations. Subduing this attack will be a challenge for most teams in this tournament.

Curaçao’s Moment: One of the Best of the World Cup So Far

For 17 minutes, Curaçao — and a global audience of neutral observers — dared to dream.

After being battered for the opening 19 minutes, barely leaving their own half, a first foray forward and a wild shot from Leandro Bacuna gave the minnows a boost of confidence. Two minutes later, Curaçao broke in behind Germany down the right, and Jürgen Locadia’s initial effort was blocked — but not decisively. The ball ricocheted into space, allowing Comenencia to fire in a fierce low effort that Joshua Kimmich inadvertently deflected beyond Manuel Neuer’s reach.

It was arguably the moment of the World Cup so far given its historical significance and the gargantuan gap in pedigree between the two nations. The equaliser bolstered Curaçao’s belief and, for a quarter of an hour, genuinely unsettled Germany.

Neuer’s presence in goal also carried its own historical footnote — the German goalkeeper became just the seventh player to appear at five World Cups.

Comenencia celebrated with a John Cena-inspired WWE celebration — the “You can’t see me” hand wave in front of the face. Given that Neuer did not see his shot well enough to get a hand on it, the choice felt appropriate.

Dick Advocaat, meanwhile, became the oldest manager in World Cup history at 78 years and 260 days old for Curaçao’s opening match.

The Hydration Break Question: Did It Kill the Upset?

The most significant talking point of this match extends beyond the result itself.

The FIFA-mandated hydration break effectively turned the match into four quarters rather than two halves. The fear surrounding this innovation has been that it creates artificial and disruptive moments — allowing a team that has been under pressure to reset and regroup, or killing the momentum of a side that had been on top.

This game produced the most obvious example of that concern so far at the tournament.

For the opening period, Germany were dominant to the point where a bloodbath seemed imminent. Then Curaçao got back into the game and equalised. And then came the hydration break: three minutes where everyone stood around and drank water, when we could instead have been watching Curaçao build on their first-ever World Cup goal.

It would be a stretch to argue the hydration break alone prevented an incredibly unlikely upset — Germany’s class ultimately told, and the final scoreline was not an unfair reflection of overall play. But we are left with a tantalising ‘what could have been?’ — denied the chance to see what might have happened in those potentially crucial minutes, rather than handed an ostensibly routine win for one of the tournament’s contenders.

Brown: The Pick of Germany’s Players

Among the positive German individual performances, Nathaniel Brown’s stood out as perhaps the best of the night.

Brown was selected ahead of RB Leipzig’s David Raum specifically for his capacity to invert — to play away from his touchline and operate in more central areas. The advantage of this approach is that it gives Germany an additional midfielder in possession and an extra attacking presence capable of entering the opposition’s final third.

His goal — Germany’s fifth — was reward for a fine all-round display and vindication for Nagelsmann’s selection decision. The quality of his attacking delivery from set pieces was an added bonus. If corners and free kicks help decide this tournament as trends suggest they will, Germany look well equipped.

The Nmecha-Pavlovic midfield pivot also worked nicely — a good balance between Pavlovic’s orchestrating control and Nmecha’s more ambitious forward raids. Ahead of them, Musiala and Wirtz functioned as a roaming pair in attacking midfield with genuine cohesion.

Musiala’s goal just after half-time may matter beyond this match. His confidence has been low enough in recent months that former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp publicly called for him to be dropped ahead of this tournament. The goal — a timely reminder of his quality following a terrible injury last year — will hopefully set him up for the tournament everyone hoped he would have.

What Next?

Curaçao’s path to the last 32 will be extremely challenging after a defeat of this magnitude, even in what looks to be a relatively open Group E. But for Curaçao to even be at the finals remains a historic achievement — the island only became a nation in its current form in 2011, and the debutants are the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup by both population and land area.

Advocaat will need to accentuate the positives from those 17 minutes of genuine belief if Curaçao are to have any chance of sneaking something from their remaining fixtures. There were glimpses. Whether there is enough quality to build on them is another question entirely.

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