Germany hand out another ‘Seven-Up’, Curacao take home history

Germany 7–1 Curacao

This is one of the joys of the World Cup — and with 48 teams, the possibility has only grown. Curacao proved exactly that.

Back in March 2023, Curacao played a friendly against Argentina. Before that match, many football fans had barely heard of the Caribbean island nation. Their profile rose a little more after they qualified for this World Cup as the smallest country by population in tournament history. But what happened tonight in Houston means Curacao will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Germany marked Curacao’s World Cup debut by scoring seven goals, ensuring the tiny island nation would be remembered even more vividly.

So, at least for Germans, forgetting Curacao is no longer an option. The thousands of “Blue Wave” supporters in the Houston stadium — and the little more than 100,000 people back on that sliver of land in the southern Caribbean Sea — will remember this match for generations.

We are talking about a country of just 158,000 people. Reaching the World Cup was already the greatest occasion to celebrate in their history. So imagine what a single goal means. Especially when it comes against four-time world champions Germany. Even Germany’s seven goals could not create the kind of immortality that Livano Comenencia earned with one strike. It may not seem like much now, Comenencia’s name will be uttered even a hundred years from today when people talk about Curacao’s first World Cup goal.

Many had called this match one of the great ‘mismatches’ in World Cup history. Germany, ranked ninth in the world, stood 72 places above Curacao in the FIFA rankings — the biggest gap since North Korea vs Ivory Coast in 2010. Germany’s ability to overwhelm weaker opposition was already clear from their 8–0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in 2002. Julian Nagelsmann’s side delivered another statement tonight with a 7–1 victory, and by the fifth goal the commentator was already declaring, “Germany have found themselves again!”

That will not be comforting news for the rest of the tournament.
Germany also handed Curacao an important lesson that there is no mercy for smaller teams at the World Cup. After Curacao equalised in the 21st minute, Germany responded with six more goals. For some fans, the scoreline brought back memories of the 2014 World Cup semifinal against Brazil. Different opponent this time, same famous number: 7–1. In Bangladesh, many football fans call it simply, “Seven-Up.”

Germany, in truth, still have unfinished business with the World Cup. Since winning the title in 2014, they have suffered two straight group-stage exits and failed to win their opening match in both tournaments. So a goal-fest always felt possible. But who imagined Curacao would score against Germany at all?

That is the World Cup: a place where fairy tales and storms are born together.

Let’s talk about the fairy tale first.

Germany did not waste time. They scored in just six minutes — the fastest goal of this World Cup — through midfielder Felix Nmecha.

Then came the moment Curacao will cherish forever.

They had already made one or two promising incursions into Germany’s box, but in the 21st minute Comenencia found space inside the area and fired a left-footed shot past Manuel Neuer. The 40-year-old German legend, making history as Germany’s oldest World Cup player, could not keep it out. Curacao had their first-ever World Cup goal.

A small blue section of the Houston crowd erupted like Caribbean waves crashing onto shore. One can only imagine the scenes back home on the 171-square-mile island. A storm of joy, surely. And in Houston, another storm was beginning too.

Comenencia’s goal seemed to wake a sleeping giant.

Germany went into halftime 3–1 ahead through goals from Nico Schlotterbeck and Kai Havertz from the penalty spot. After the break came four more: Jamal Musiala started the second-half scoring in the 47th minute, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav added their names, and Havertz completed the rout in the 88th minute.

The match also produced a record involving the coaches. Curacao’s Dick Advocaat, at 78, is the oldest coach at this World Cup. Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann, at 38, is the youngest. The 40-year age gap between them is the largest ever between two coaches in a World Cup match.

Yet after the final whistle, there was no gap at all. Players from both teams stood together in a circle at midfield. In that moment, the World Cup sounded less like competition and more like unity.

There have been only four 7–1 scorelines in World Cup history. Germany are responsible for two of them. The others were Italy’s 7–1 win over the United States in 1934 and Brazil’s 7–1 victory over Sweden in 1950.

And with the goal they conceded tonight, Germany entered another little slice of history. Curacao became the third team to score their first World Cup goal against Germany in an opening match, after Morocco in 1970 and Algeria in 1982.

But honestly, Curacao probably do not care much about the seven goals conceded or the records written tonight.

For them, the World Cup is a festival. They arrived at that festival for the first time, and at the very first opportunity they scored a goal.

What does that joy feel like?

Only those who have lived it truly know.