Germany open against Curaçao, the smallest nation ever at a World Cup

What happened

Germany open their World Cup campaign against Curaçao on Sunday in Houston, with the Caribbean island making its tournament debut as the smallest nation ever to qualify for a men's World Cup. The Group E meeting pits the four-time champions against a country of roughly 156,000 people, coached by 78-year-old Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who is set to become the oldest head coach in the competition's history.

Why it matters

The fixture captures the reach of the expanded 48-team format, putting one of the game's traditional powers across from a debutant whose population is a tiny fraction of its opponent's. For Curaçao, simply being there is the achievement; for Germany, it is the start of a campaign in which anything less than a comfortable win would count as a setback.

Context

Curaçao sealed their place with a 0-0 draw away to Jamaica in Kingston, and at about 156,000 people — and by land area too — they take the "smallest nation" record from Iceland, who had around 350,000 when they reached the 2018 finals. Advocaat is overseeing his third World Cup with a third different country, having previously led the Netherlands in 1994 and South Korea in 2006. Germany, under Julian Nagelsmann, arrive having already lost teenager Lennart Karl to injury during the build-up.

What to watch next

The immediate focus is whether Curaçao can stay compact and frustrate Germany, and how Nagelsmann's side break down a deep-lying opponent in their opener. Group E also sees Ivory Coast face Ecuador on the same day, while Curaçao's place in the tournament will be measured as much by the experience as the scoreline across their three group games.