Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 15, 2026 08:56 AM IST
Before the start of the World Cup, a video of the Curacao team went viral. In it, the players are arriving in an old-fashioned blue school bus with no windows, the players sticking their arms out and banging on the metal exterior. The video was intended to portray the down-to-earth vibe of the team heading into its first ever World Cup.
“That’s who we are and always will be: infectious enthusiasm, joy, a carefree spirit and fear of no one,” Livano Comenencia told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview.
On Sunday, all those qualities were displayed by the smallest nation ever to compete in a FIFA World Cup.
As happened | Germany vs Curacao, FIFA World Cup 2026
Facing Germany in their World Cup opener, Curacao were dreaming of taking flight in the USA’s space capital, Houston. For a while, fans and players dared to daydream about being upset with Germany. Never mind that the 82nd-ranked country in the world was playing in its first-ever FIFA World Cup, or that its opponents have won the tournament four times. It is a small island in the Caribbean that came into being in 2011 with a population of just 1,58,000 and an area of 171 square miles (almost half the size of Berlin).
As Curacao’s coach, Dick Advocate, succinctly put it, “We’re just a small town compared to Germany and other opponents.”
For a few minutes on Sunday, the small town dared to dream of beating Germany. Or at least keep them in the drawer. In the 21st minute of Germany vs Curacao, Comenencia curled the ball past the recently retired Manuel Neuer to level the score at 1–1.
Livano Comenencia celebrates after scoring for Curacao during their World Cup Group E match against Germany. (AP Photo)
Despite the side being clear underdogs, veteran manager Dick Advocate had set up Curaçao to perform offensively.
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As Advocat later explained his philosophy: “We tried to play more aggressively as defending only would surely lead to defeat, but it didn’t work on all fronts.” Wakil, who at 78 is the oldest World Cup manager, was seen wiping tears from his eyes before kick-off, overcome by the occasion.
For many players, this journey is also a Cinderella story. Before entering the World Cup, they had phases of administrative chaos with the federation that led to a logistical nightmare. Players had to fork out for their plane tickets and hotel rooms. The pitches are not always in good condition. And against Germany, they were playing in the state-of-the-art NRG Stadium, with a retractable roof and air conditioning throughout the stadium when the temperature became unbearable.
“Before the World Cup) we faced many obstacles: the pitches are not always good, problems with flights and travel, various communication problems with canceled hotels,” Comenencia told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
But all those problems were a thing of the past at the air-conditioned NRG Stadium. Curaçao’s first ever World Cup goal delighted players and fans alike. When Comenencia scored, they must have thought they could get at least as many points, if not more. This resistance lasted for 38 minutes.
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The floodgates then opened as Germany posted another 7-1 scoreline in the FIFA World Cup match.
Kai Havertz scored twice along with Felix Namecha, Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck, Deniz Undau and Nathaniel Brown. The Germans attacked relentlessly, like it was a training game in which one set of players was asked to attack and the other had to defend.
“We really needed this convincing win,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said in his post-match press conference. “We needed that confidence. It was there but it definitely grew.”
Nagelsmann was referring to Germany’s inability to qualify for the group stage in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 after their World Cup title in 2014.
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“We have to show our fans that we can perform and we have to have confidence. I think we are in a better place than we were going into this game.”