For Germany, Sunday’s opening Group E match against Curacao is supposed to be the start of a redemption story.

For Curacao, it is already history.

When the two teams walk onto the pitch in Houston, one will carry the weight of four World Cup titles and a legacy built over nearly a century of football excellence. The other will represent an island of just 158,000 people making its World Cup debut and becoming the smallest nation ever to compete at football’s biggest tournament.

The contrast could hardly be starker.

Yet that is precisely what makes the fixture one of the most intriguing opening-round matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Germany arrive with a point to prove

Few nations have experienced the highs and lows of international football quite like Germany.

The four-time world champions enter the tournament seeking to restore their standing after suffering group-stage exits in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. For a nation accustomed to challenging for titles, those failures remain fresh wounds.

Under coach Julian Nagelsmann, Germany appear to be rebuilding momentum.

The Germans arrive on a nine-match winning run, including a 4-0 victory over Finland and a 2-1 win against World Cup co-hosts the United States in their final warm-up fixtures.

“We aren’t among the absolute top favourites — there are three or four others,” said Germany national team director Rudi Voeller.

“The two wins from our last two friendlies give us a good feeling and we want to maintain that here.

“There is no guarantee if you win the first game that is the way the tournament will go for you. We have to go through the group as the top team, there is no discussion about that, it’s our goal.

“But we know how important an opening win is. We are here and want to be a team that is difficult to beat. We want to top our group and then assert ourselves in the knockout stage.”

Any result other than victory would immediately raise uncomfortable questions back home.

The smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup

While Germany are chasing a fifth title, Curacao are simply embracing the moment.

The former Dutch colony, located in the southern Caribbean Sea, has a population of around 158,000 — smaller than many towns around the world.

On Sunday, it will become the smallest nation ever to play at a FIFA World Cup.

For a country that is not recognised independently at the Olympics and often sees its sporting talent represent the Netherlands internationally, qualification itself has been a landmark achievement.

The squad features players who largely ply their trade in the Netherlands and lower European leagues, but that has done little to dampen belief inside the camp.

“We are not here to just be here,” midfielder Ar’jany Martha said. “We want to show ourselves and get good results.”

Defender Livano Comenencia described the squad’s close bond.

“I (would describe us) as one big family. If you see us on the bus or outside the bus, in the hotel, we are always with music, always happy. Everybody is around each other.”

Dick Advocaat’s final World Cup chapter?

If Curacao’s players are making history, so too is their coach.

At 78, Dick Advocaat will become the oldest coach in World Cup history when he takes charge against Germany.

The Dutchman has previously managed the Netherlands and South Korea at World Cups and brings decades of international experience to football’s grandest stage.

His opposite number could hardly be more different.

At 38, Nagelsmann is the youngest coach at the tournament.

The 40-year age gap between the two managers is the largest ever recorded at a World Cup.

Despite the disparity, both coaches have expressed admiration for one another.

“I think he’s a really cool coach,” Nagelsmann said of Advocaat.

“I think it’s really cool and a great compliment for his work. I got to know him a few times and he’s always kind. As a young coach I always can learn from people like him.”

Advocaat returned the compliment.

“He must have something special and he has that otherwise he wouldn’t be the coach of the national team,” he said. “He’s an excellent coach.”

  Neuer’s return adds experience

Germany have received another boost ahead of the opener.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has recovered from a calf injury and is set to start.

The Bayern Munich captain is the only remaining member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad and will make his fifth World Cup appearance, equalling the German record held by Lothar Matthäus.

Nagelsmann believes the veteran goalkeeper remains central to Germany’s ambitions.

“(He’s) definitely fit enough to start the game and he got better and better,” Nagelsmann said.

“He didn’t really have the rhythm, but now he found the rhythm. He played a lot, we trust him a lot and I think in order to have a good World Cup, we need Manuel in top performance and I think he can bring that.”

The 40-year-old’s presence could prove invaluable for a squad featuring several players making their World Cup debuts.  A mismatch on paper

The numbers heavily favour Germany.

Germany’s squad includes established stars such as Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz and Neuer, while Curacao are appearing at the tournament for the first time.

The two nations have never met in an international match.

That unfamiliarity offers one of the few unknown variables heading into the contest.

Everything to win, nothing to lose

Advocaat is realistic about the challenge awaiting his players.

“Germany are of course clear favourites in the group,” he said.

“They are still a big footballing country. Starting off against Germany is fantastic. We will find out immediately where we stand.”

The veteran coach also believes the pressure lies firmly with Germany.

“We are a minor, very small country compared to Germany and we’re going to make life very difficult for them.

“We’re going to be a very unpleasant team to play.”

That mentality has shaped Curacao’s approach throughout qualifying and now accompanies them into the biggest match in their history.

For Germany, Sunday is about avoiding another World Cup stumble and launching a title challenge.

For Curacao, it is about proving that football’s greatest tournament still has room for dreamers.

Whatever the outcome, when the whistle blows in Houston, one of the most remarkable underdog stories of World Cup 2026 will officially begin.