Houston: Germany will target a winning start to their FIFA World Cup campaign, something they have not achieved since 2014, against tournament debutants Curacao in Houston. While Germany are expected to start with a victory, manager Julian Nagelsmann sees Curacao as "dangerous" since they are not heading into the 2026 World Cup as favourites.
Germany's head coach is well aware of the importance of starting the campaign strongly. Ahead of their World Cup opener, he cautioned against underestimating Curacao, saying their underdog status makes them a potentially dangerous opponent.
"They [Curacao] are not going into the tournament as favourites, and that makes them dangerous," Nagelsmann said as quoted by the FIFA Website.
Notably, the match against Curacao is not just about securing three points for Germany, but also about ending a long-standing trend.
Their last World Cup opening-game victory came 12 years ago, when they began the 2014 tournament with a dominant 4-0 win over Portugal before eventually lifting the trophy in Brazil, according to the FIFA Website.
Since then, however, Germany have endured two disappointing starts--losing 1-0 to Mexico in 2018 and 2-1 to Japan in 2022--both of which were followed by group-stage exits. Julian Nagelsmann and his squad will be eager to avoid a third straight opening defeat when they head into the tournament in North America.
Manuel Neuer, who has recently been recovering from a calf injury, is set to be the goalkeeper and make his 125th international appearance. The 40-year-old, a 2014 World Cup winner, will be featuring in his fifth FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Nathaniel Brown is poised to make his World Cup debut. The Eintracht Frankfurt defender is expected to start at left-back in a back four, having been preferred over David Raum. With Germany likely to dominate possession, Brown's inclusion is seen as an opportunity to add energy and attacking width on the left flank.
Jamal Musiala will also attract attention, with the Bayern Munich star not yet fully back to peak fitness after a serious injury, though he is still expected to start.
