Kai Havertz scored a brace as Germany overcame a brief first-half scare before rolling 7-1 over Curaçao on Sunday to win their opening match at a World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Felix Nmecha's sixth-minute lead was sensationally cancelled out in the 21st by Livano Comenencia for the Caribbean island state which is a part of the Dutch Kingdom and the smallest ever World Cup participant with a population of 150,000.
Nico Schlotterbeck's header and a penalty from Havertz restored the pecking order by half-time and it was really all over for 82nd ranked Curaçao when Jamal Musiala put the four-time champions Germany 4-1 up right after the restart.
Substitute Deniz Undav set up youngster Nathaniel Brown to cap a great performance with the fifth in the 68th, scored the sixth himself 10 minutes later before setting up Man of the Match Havertz to complete a brace in the 88th.
Opening game rot ends
The winning start, which marked a 10th straight win overall and the biggest so far at this World Cup, should give Germany confidence for their other group matches against Ivory Coast and Ecuador which should be tougher encounters. But they also showed some defensive weaknesses at times.
The previously last win in a first World Cup match was in 2014, 4-0 over Portugal, en route to the title. The 7-1 scoreline was the biggest World Cup victory since their famous win with the same scoreline over Brazil in the 2014 semis.
Germany lost their opener in 2018 against Mexico and 2022 against Japan and went out in the group stage on both occasions.
"I am exremely happy for the team. The last two first games were not good," Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann told broadcasters ARD.
"Curaçao played differently than expected and got the equalizer with their only shot. It was important how the team would respond. But you have to be able to score seven goals."
Curacao coach Dick Advocaat said: "It is not good to lose 7-1 although we know how good Germany are."
He added that the game was "unbelievable for the whole country. We are a small place compared to Germany. The most important thing is that we defend better in the second game."
The match pitted the youngest and oldest coach against each other, with Nagelsmann at 38 years 40 years younger than 78-year-old much travelled Dutchman Advocaat.
Neuer return
Manuel Neuer returned into the Germany goal after two years of international retirement at age 40, fit again from a calf injury he sustained four weeks ago to earn a 125th cap and a goalkeeper record-equalling 20th World Cup match.
"It was very good, as always. It is what I have been doing for 20 years. it felt good to be on the pitch with the team," Neuer said.
Fast start but swift equalizer
The Germans took just six minutes to take the lead under the Houston roof. Musiala had a shot blocked but Germany kept possession and Florian Wirtz set up Nmecha to fire a classy shot into the top right corner.
Borussia Dortmund's Nmecha almost got a second two minutes later before Leroy Sané and Wirtz also came close.
But sloppy play from defender Jonathan Tah gifted Curaçao, whose majority of players are based in the Netherlands, a first threat on the counter and they were sensationally level in the 21st.
An attempted clearance from Dortmund's Schlotterbeck went to Comenencia whose shot took a slight deflection off Joshua Kimmich and went past Neuer into the far left corner.
Hydration break helps
Germany looked a bit rattled but the hydration break helped them regroup.
A dangerous header from Schlotterbeck was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Eloy Room before the defender did better on the next chance by nodding in Brown's corner kick in the 38th for 2-1.
Arsenal forward Havertz then calmly converted from the spot on the last kick of the half after Nmecha was brought down by Riechedly Bazoer.
Just over a minute after the restart Kimmich defence-splitting pass was converted into the far corner by Musiala for 4-1.
Sané incredibly fired wide left with only Room to beat before some lapses at the back started to creep in again.
Undav goal and two assists
But Brown settled matters in the 68th, set up superbly by Undav who had come on four minutes earlier for Musiala. Undav made it half a dozen in the 78th and his superb defence-splitting pass was converted by Havertz for the final score.
