Germany vs Curaçao: lineups
Group E opens with the most World Cup image there is: David against Goliath. On one side, Germany, four-time world champions, arriving on the back of nine straight wins and obsessed with erasing the humiliating group-stage exits of 2018 and 2022. On the other, Curaçao, the smallest nation in World Cup history — a Caribbean island of barely 150,000 people — making its tournament debut. The stage is Houston's NRG Stadium, and here are both confirmed lineups, including the big surprise the German manager sprang in goal.
- 12Oliver BaumannPOR
- 6Joshua KimmichDEF
- 4Jonathan TahDEF
- 15Nico SchlotterbeckDEF
- 18Nathaniel BrownDEF
- 23Felix NmechaMED
- 5Aleksandar PavlovicMED
- 19Leroy SaneMED
- 10Jamal MusialaMED
- 17Florian WirtzMED
- 7Kai HavertzDEL
- 26Eloy DoornbuschPOR
- 23Riechedly BazoerDEF
- 18Roshon ObispoDEF
- 3GaariDEF
- 24Sontje FonvilleMED
- 7Juninho BacunaMED
- 10Leandro Bacuna (C)MED
- 8Livano ComenenciaMED
- 5Sherel FloranusMED
- 21Tahith ChongDEL
- 9Jurgen LocadiaDEL
- Lennart Karl — lesion
Germany's XI: the Baumann surprise
The big news of the day is in goal. Even though Julian Nagelsmann had confirmed Manuel Neuer as his starter, the man chosen to begin is Oliver Baumann. Neuer came out of retirement but was returning from a calf injury, and it was Baumann who kept goal in the warm-up friendlies; the manager went with continuity. It is the most talked-about call of Germany's matchday.
In front of him, Nagelsmann lines up in a talent-packed 4-2-3-1. The back four is Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck and young Nathaniel Brown. At the base of midfield, Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlović provide the balance to set the creators free.
And there lies the real show: Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz start together, the double dose of talent that has a whole country dreaming, with Leroy Sané on the right — after Lennart Karl's injury — and Kai Havertz as the lone striker. It is an attacking statement of intent.
Curaçao's 3-5-2
Curaçao did not come to Houston as tourists, but they did not come for a toe-to-toe fight either: their plan is clearly defensive. The coach goes with a 3-5-2 — three center-backs in Bazoer, Obispo and Gaari, two wing-backs who run the whole flank (Fonville and Floranus) and a midfield three to seal the inside channels.
In goal, the surprise is that Eloy Room, the squad's best-known keeper, does not start: the pick is Eloy Doornbusch. The team's spine is the Bacuna brothers, Juninho and captain Leandro — formerly of Aston Villa — tasked with organizing and launching the counters alongside Livano Comenencia.
Up top, the two reference points are Sheffield United's Tahith Chong, for his ability to break a game open, and the experienced Jürgen Locadia. It is a squad developed almost entirely in the Netherlands, dreaming of the upset of their lives.
The tactical battle
This is a clash of worlds. Germany will have the ball almost the entire game and will look to suffocate Curaçao with their creative superiority: Musiala and Wirtz between the lines, Sané running the channels and Havertz pinning the center-backs. The question is not whether they will dominate, but how long it takes to break the wall down.
Curaçao's only hope lives in transition. If the Bacunas can win the ball and connect quickly with Chong and Locadia against the Nmecha–Pavlović pivot, they can cause discomfort. But it is a fragile balance: at the first mistake, the space behind the wing-backs is a highway for Sané.
The likeliest outcome is a comfortable German win, though the first goal could take longer than the odds suggest if Curaçao stays organized through the opening twenty minutes.
What we expect
For me, Germany win and win comfortably: they have far too much talent for a debutant of 150,000 people to compete with for ninety minutes. But the appeal is not in the result, it is in the story: every minute Curaçao keeps the score level will be a small feat for the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup.
A point would simply be one of the greatest miracles in the tournament's history. And for Germany, this is the first step of a bigger mission: proving the nightmares of 2018 and 2022 are behind them.
When the lineups are confirmed
At the World Cup, coaches are required to submit their official team sheets to the referee and FIFA before every match, and those confirmed lineups are typically released to broadcasters and the public around 60 to 75 minutes before kickoff. That is the moment the "probable XI" becomes the "confirmed XI." Before that window, the starting eleven is an informed projection: it draws on the team's most recent matches, the coach's stated plans, training-ground news, and which players are fit, suspended or being rotated. The closer it gets to kickoff, the more reliable the projection becomes, because injury news and late fitness tests get resolved. We update this page as that news develops and again the moment the official sheets drop, so the lineup you see here is the most current available. It is also worth remembering that the eleven who start are only part of the picture: in the modern game, with five substitutions allowed, the players on the bench often decide tight matches in the final half hour, so the substitutes named on the team sheet matter almost as much as the starters.
How to watch in Spanish
To watch Germany vs Curaçao in Spanish in the United States, the simplest free option is Telemundo, which broadcasts over the air and reaches the large majority of US Hispanic households at no cost. Universo carries additional Spanish-language coverage on cable, and Peacock streams the matches in Spanish for viewers who prefer to watch on a phone, tablet or smart TV. If you only want the biggest games, free over-the-air Telemundo is usually enough; if you want every match in Spanish, Peacock is the most complete option.
The venue
The match is played at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, a 72,220-capacity venue that FIFA refers to as Houston Stadium during the tournament. The nearest major airport is Houston (IAH). FIFA enforces a clear-bag policy at every venue, so plan to travel light and arrive early to get through security.
NRG Stadium →Frequently asked questions
What time is Germany vs Curacao?+
Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT, 2:00 p.m. in Argentina), at NRG Stadium in Houston. Check the timezone table above for your exact local time.
Where can I watch Germany vs Curacao in Spanish?+
In Spanish in the US, the match airs free over the air on Telemundo and streams on Peacock.
What is Germany's lineup?+
Confirmed XI (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, N. Brown; Nmecha, Pavlović; Sané, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.
Is Neuer playing against Curacao?+
No. Despite Nagelsmann having confirmed him, the starting goalkeeper is Oliver Baumann; Manuel Neuer starts on the bench.
How does Curacao line up?+
In a defensive 3-5-2: Doornbusch; Bazoer, Obispo, Gaari; Fonville, J. Bacuna, L. Bacuna, Comenencia, Floranus; Chong, Locadia.
Diego Salcedo is a bilingual football writer based in Houston. He breaks down matches, tactics and the talking points of every World Cup matchday, following South American and European football closely for over a decade.
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