In their first World Cup match since winning the trophy in 2014, Germany cruised to a 7-1 victory over debutants Curaçao in Houston. Although early goals from Felix Nmecha and a deflected strike by Livano Comenencia briefly leveled the score, Germany pulled away with goals from Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (two), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav. At 40, Manuel Neuer became Germany’s oldest World Cup player, while 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat made history as the oldest coach in tournament finals. Curaçao’s resilient defense held for a time, but Schlotterbeck’s header and Havertz’s penalty gave Germany a 3-1 halftime lead. Musiala, Brown, Undav, and Havertz added goals in the second half to match Germany’s famous 7-1 semifinal win over Brazil in 2014. Tougher tests against Ecuador and Ivory Coast await, but the win puts Germany in a strong position to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2014.