Germany begins its 2026 World Cup campaign with an appetizing fixture against competition debutants Curaçao in Group E.
The minnows are the smallest country to ever compete in the World Cup based on population size and should prove no match for Die Mannschaft. Germany is on an impressive nine-match winning streak and will expect to take that to double digits in style on Sunday.
Germany has struggled at recent major tournaments and there are definite weaknesses within Julian Nagelsmann’s roster, but the quality at his disposal remains immense. Leroy Sané of Galatasaray is the only player currently operating outside of Europe’s top five divisions.
Nagelsmann has so many options to choose from, offering him some selection headaches ahead of the clash with Curaçao in Houston. Luckily for the ex-Bayern Munich coach, there are no wrong answers.
Germany Predicted Lineup vs. Curaçao
Pick Your Germany Starting XI!
GK: Manuel Neuer—Having come out of international retirement to solve Germany’s goalkeeper conundrum, the 40-year-old should shake off a minor calf injury to feature ahead of deputy Oliver Baumann.
RB: Joshua Kimmich—Kimmich prefers to play in midfield, the area of the field in which he’s deployed by Bayern, but a lack of alternatives means Nagelsmann will utilize his captain at right back.
CB: Jonathan Tah—Another Bayern star in Nagelsmann’s XI, Tah will expect a relatively routine outing against the third-lowest ranked nation at the tournament.
CB: Nico Schlotterbeck—Schlotterbeck’s impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund ensures he will stave off competition from Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger for the role of Tah’s center back partner.
LB: Nathaniel Brown—Bayern-bound Brown could have played for the USMNT courtesy of his American father, but the German-born left back opted to represent his home country instead. The 22-year-old started both pre-tournament friendlies ahead of David Raum.
CM: Felix Nmecha—The 25-year-old really blossomed with Dortmund last season, his all-action performances catching Nagelsmann’s eye. Leon Goretzka, Angelo Stiller and Pascal Groß are among those now playing second fiddle to Nmecha.
CM: Aleksandar Pavlović—The 22-year-old is playing his first World Cup off the back of an awesome campaign with domestic treble-winners Bayern. A dazzlingly bright future awaits, but Pavlović is already a star.
RW: Leroy Sané—Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl’s cruel pre-tournament injuries mean Sané is certain to be deployed on the right wing, using his blistering speed and flair to wreak havoc on a Curaçao defense that has conceded nine times to Australia and Scotland over the last few months.
AM: Jamal Musiala—Musiala has been unable to rediscover top form after his nasty injury at last year’s Club World Cup in the United States, but the attacking midfielder can still step up as Germany’s talisman this summer.
LW: Florian Wirtz—An undeniably underwhelming debut season at Liverpool has had no impact on Wirtz’s international form. The attacking midfielder, who is deployed on the left by Nagelsmann, has managed seven goal contributions in his last six Germany appearances.
