Curacao Scores Historic First World Cup Goal in Heavy Defeat to Germany

Livano Comenencia’s name is now etched in World Cup history. The forward scored for Curacao in the 21st minute against Germany on June 14, briefly leveling the match at 1-1.

Germany ultimately secured a dominant 7-1 victory. The result was irrelevant for Curacao, a nation of under 200,000 people and the smallest by population ever to qualify for the tournament.

Felix Nmecha had given Germany an early 6th-minute lead before Comenencia’s historic equalizer. Kai Havertz then scored twice, with additional goals from Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav completing the rout.

Curacao’s presence on the sport’s biggest stage was made possible by the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The wider field opened a path for nations that previously had no realistic chance of qualifying.