Curacao are making their first ever World Cup appearance this summer, and simply reaching the tournament was a historic achievement in itself.

Germany, by contrast, are four-time winners of the competition, but their recent performances have been underwhelming. After winning the competition in 2014, the Germans have suffered back-to-back group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, so they will aim to buck that trend in 2026. 

Nagelsmann will demand a positive start from his squad in Houston, and he certainly has the quality in his ranks to do so with a front four of Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane and Florian Wirtz. 

Curacao conceded just five goals from their ten CONCACAF qualifying matches, but they didn’t face a side with anywhere near as much quality as Germany in the final third, so this will be a huge test for them

Germany ranks tenth in the FIFA world rankings, while Curacao sit 82nd - there is a massive gulf in quality between these sides, and it is likely to be one-way traffic throughout.

Nagelsmann likes his side to be front-footed in their approach, and Germany are adept when it comes to playing incisive balls through. They are likely to be relentless right from the outset, so Curacao are likely to have to deal with plenty of shots and crosses into the box, which opens up the possibility for corners. 

Curacao only conceded 36 corners from their ten qualifying games, but again, the focus here is on Germany. They had an average of 7.2 corners per game at Euro 2024, clearing this line in two of their three group stage games. They then won five of their six World Cup qualifying games, with four of those to nil.

Germany should be able to generate plenty of set-piece scenarios on Sunday, especially if Curacao sit deep and look to defend their box in a compact low block.

The German centre-backs will aim to pile into the box at every available opportunity, looking to get on the end of crosses, and Nico Schlotterbeck is therefore a player to keep an eye on. 

The Dortmund captain had an average of 1.04 shots per 90 across all competitions domestically this season, which is impressively high for a centre back.

It reflects his willingness to attack the ball and be aggressive in the opposition box, while he also does sometimes look to try his luck from range.

Juninho Bacuna recorded the most infringements of any Curacao player during their World Cup qualifying matches, and he managed some notable foul counts.

Juninho recorded at least three fouls against Barbados, Bermuda, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago (twice), and Jamaica. That even includes five infringements against Haiti. He doesn’t hold back when it comes to flying into challenges, and Juninho is incredibly aggressive in the heart of midfield. 

Even at a domestic level, he has been a target for fouls. Juninho played in the Turkish Süper Lig with Gaziantep for the first half of the season, and he had an average of 1.68 fouls per 90 in that time. He then joined Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie, and his foul count rose further to 1.9 fouls committed per 90.

Tahith Chong is perhaps the most recognisable face in the Curacao squad, having come through the ranks at Man United.

He spent the 25/26 season at Sheffield United in the Championship, where he averaged 2.23 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions. He is expected to operate on the right wing for Curacao, and Chong will be essential for alleviating the pressure on his side and allowing them to get a foothold in possession. 

Curacao will need to use Chong as one of their outlets - he excels at retaining possession and using his body to buy soft free-kicks in midfield, which will be so important against a side like Germany.

Since Curacao’s qualifying games, Chong has drawn ten fouls in three appearances in friendly matches.

Joshua Kimmich is usually deployed at right back for Germany, but he is still central when it comes to progressing the ball and creating chances for his teammates, and he should also be the designated set-piece taker for Germany.

Against Curacao, Kimmich looks set to be the one to dictate play, so he should see plenty of the ball, given license to push forward and join in with attacks. 

The 31-year-old managed two goals and 12 assists for Bayern Munich this season across all competitions, and a further three goal involvements during Germany’s qualifying campaign, which shows how he regularly contributes in the final third.

In fact, he has hit double figures for assists in eight of his last nine seasons at Bayern.

Leandro Bacuna is the older brother of Juninho Bacuna, and those two will have to play a massive role in midfield for Curacao at the World Cup.

Leandro typically plays a bit deeper, but the 34-year-old scored nine goals from 35 appearances for Igdir in the Turkish second division this season, which shows how he does have an eye for goal. Leandro does often tend to shoot from distance, and if the space opens up for him against Germany, he is unlikely to hesitate to pull the trigger.

Curacao won’t get too many chances in the final third against Germany here, and so it could be shoot-on-sight when the opportunity arises.

Shurandy Sambo spent this season at Sparta Rotterdam on loan from Burnley, where he recorded an average of 1.23 fouls per 90 across all competitions for the Dutch side.

He also played a notable role for Curacao in their qualifying matches, operating at right back. He had an average of 2.0 fouls per 90, and he accumulated five fouls in the final game against Jamaica. 

Sambo is likely to be up against Florian Wirtz on the flank, which promises to be a tough matchup for him.

The step up in quality from the opposition Curacao faced in their qualifying games means Sambo will have much more of a defensive burden to carry, which makes this card price stand out.

Germany centre-backs tend to be aggressive in their duels, looking to squeeze high up the field to win the ball back quickly.

Tah embodies that approach as well as any defender in the squad - he had an average of 2.53 fouls per 90 for Germany during the Nations League campaign, which was the highest figure in the squad. Even at club level for Bayern Munich, he averaged 1.25 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season.

Curacao were fouled 16 times in a recent friendly against Scotland, despite losing that game 4-1, which shows how they can often be a frustrating team to come up against, so Tah should have plenty of duels to contest.