Germany begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Curacao on Sunday in Group E, with Manuel Neuer expected to start in goal despite a calf issue. The match in Houston gives Germany the first step in a tournament they have won four times, but also one that has tested them badly at the last two editions.
For those searching the Germany Game, the focus is simple: whether Germany can turn strong form into a clean start and whether Neuer, at 40, is ready to play through the discomfort. Julian Nagelsmann's side have won their last nine matches in all competitions, a run that includes four friendlies this year against Switzerland, Ghana, Finland and the USA, and they are expected to field Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz behind Kavi Havertz.
Curacao arrive as the story's other headline. They will make their first-ever World Cup appearance in Houston after topping their qualifying group last November, becoming the smallest nation by population and area to reach the finals. FIFA has them 82nd in the world, but they have already shown enough to make the occasion more than a ceremonial one. Germany will also face Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E, so this opener matters both as a test and as a statement.
That is why the favorite tag sits awkwardly on Germany even now. They are being framed as one of the stronger sides in the draw, yet they were sent out in the group stage at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and that history has not vanished because the next campaign has begun. Curacao lost 4-1 to Scotland in one of their pre-World Cup friendlies at the end of May, then beat Aruba 4-0 before this match, so they have at least arrived with a result and a reminder that they are not coming only to fill a slot.
Germany should win this comfortably if their recent form holds and Neuer answers the only real selection doubt. If they do, the opening night in Group E will be less about a shock and more about whether Germany can finally look like a team built for the World Cup again rather than one trying to outrun its own recent history.
