The expected rout of Curacao materialised in Houston but not before the CONCACAF minnows had bloodied German noses.

For 17 memorable first-half minutes, the Caribbean island with a population smaller than Preston were level at 1-1 with the Group E favourites.

Predictably, it couldn’t last. Julian Nagelsmann’s side ran away with the contest, racking up the biggest win of this summer’s World Cup to date.

Here are our Scout Notes from the game, featuring match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

GERMANY 7-1 CURACAO

• Goals: Nmecha, Schlotterbeck, Havertz x2 (1 pen), Musiala, Brown, Undav | Comenencia
• Assists: Wirtz, Brown, Kimmich x2, Undav x2 
• Penalty won: Nmecha
• Shot on target bonus: Havertz
• Tackle bonus: Nmecha, Musiala, Pavlovic, J Bacuna
• Top points scorers: Brown (14), Undav (14), Havertz (13), Nmecha (13), Schlotterbeck (11), Musiala (9), Kimmich (8)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• Really, what can we take from this match? We won’t learn much about Germany until they face Cote d’Ivoire and Ecuador, two sides with superb defensive records (here and here) in qualification. This match, at least after they pulled ahead at the end of the first half, had all the intensity and peril of a pre-season friendly, being played at walking pace after the interval. Probably the overriding feeling is that we’re going to need Ecuador attackers in Round 2, with Curacao ripped to shreds after some initial, admirable resistance.
• Germany’s xG of 3.93 was the highest of the tournament so far. Nationalmannschaft also became the first team this summer to hit double figures for shots on target (12). A whopping 21 of their 26 attempts were taken from inside the opposition box.
• Eight German players delivered a goal and/or assist. Owners of Florian Wirtz ($7.5m) and Jamal Musiala ($8.0m) would have hoped for more than one attacking return, especially from a combined 12 shots and key passes. Still, it’s one more return than Leroy Sane ($7.4m) got; the winger lasted 90 minutes but blanked, wasting a massive chance when racing through on goal and curling wide.

“With Leroy Sané, my evaluation is always based first on how much he invests in the game. He invested a lot, he was hard-working, he was very present in attack and defence [and] he ran a lot. I don’t have the numbers yet, but I think he was moving around a lot. He made good runs in behind. It’s clear that he was a bit unlucky in front of goal, but it wasn’t that easy, honestly. I think he did well.” – Julian Nagelsmann on Leroy Sane, via Futbol Fantasy

• Musiala was the first Germany player to make way in the second half. He completed 90 minutes just once for Bayern Munich in an injury-affected 2025/26 but head coach Julian Nagelsmann assuaged any fitness fears after his latest early withdrawal.

“He stretched a bit, but it’s not a problem. We substituted him also to reward other players.

“Musiala only complained in a kind and affectionate way that he had to come off. He feels very good. But I always prefer that to when someone says, ‘I’m dead, thanks for the change.’ So, in that sense, everything was fine.” – Julian Nagelsmann on Jamal Musiala, via Futbol Fantasy

• Deniz Undav ($6.6m) came on for Musiala and continued his good run of form with a goal and two assists. Will it be enough to challenge Musiala for a start in Round 2? Probably not, despite some calls for that to happen.
• Felix Nmecha ($5.6m) impressed in a box-to-box role, picking up tackle bonus and registering a joint-game-high four shots. He won Germany’s penalty, too. Will he get as much freedom to gate-crash the area with as much regularity in tougher tests ahead, though?
• Kai Havertz ($7.8m) strengthened his grip on the centre-forward role, meanwhile. A superb chip followed up an earlier penalty; spot-kick duties, of course, bolster his Fantasy appeal.
• While Joshua Kimmich ($5.5m) underscored his attacking threat with a brace of assists, fellow defender Nathaniel Brown ($4.7m) was even more eye-catching. Pretty much pushing up as a left winger with Wirtz tucking inside, his advanced positioning was rewarded midway through the second half when he latched onto Undav’s flick to volley in Germany’s fifth goal. What’s more, he was also on a share of set plays with Kimmich – and indeed assisted Nico Schlotterbeck‘s ($5.3m) header from a corner. At just 1% owned, Brown has got some way to go before he’s ineligible for Scouting Bonus.

“I think he played a good game, initiating many excellent runs in behind. Also, on the set-piece goal, he first made a great run in behind, creating space for Florian Wirtz. Then he had the chance to score himself as he cut inside. It was a good ball from Deniz Undav and a very, very good finish from him. I think he had another chance to score a second goal. Unfortunately, the ball didn’t reach him. It was blocked just before; otherwise, he might have scored another. And I think I also saw an emotional outburst from him after the goal, and that makes me very happy. He’s a very well-liked person, a very well-liked guy, who is super humble, very eager to learn.” – Julian Nagelsmann on Nathaniel Brown, via Futbol Fantasy