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 Kai 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 Havertz to complete a brace in the 88th.
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.
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.
The match pitted the youngest and oldest coach against each other, with Germany's Julian Nagelsmann at 38 years 40 years younger than Curaçao's 78-year-old much travelled Dutchman Dick Advocaat.
