FIFA World Cup 2026: Germany’s journey starts from Curaçao, the country with the smallest population set out to create history.

By Samira Vishwas On Jun 15, 2026

Houston (Texas)/Lucknow. The exciting match of Group E of the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins on Sunday at 10:30 PM IST between Germany and Curacao at the NRG Stadium, Houston. This is four-time World Cup winners Germany’s first match of the tournament, while Curacao is making its historic debut in the World Cup. There is a sea of spectators in the stadium, there is applause, flags and an exciting atmosphere. Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see who will walk away to victory! Both the teams are on fire since the beginning of the match.

Germany is currently in the top-10 in the FIFA rankings and is considered one of the big contenders for the tournament. Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team has been performing well for some time. On the other hand, Curaçao is the country with the smallest population in World Cup history (about 1.5 lakh) and is ranked 82nd in the ranking. This is the first World Cup for Curacao and they are dreaming of making history in a David vs. Goliath matchup.

Match time and venue: Local time (Houston, CDT): 12:00 noon
Indian Time (IST): 10:30 pm
Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (USA)
Group: E
Ref: Jalal Jayed (estimated)

Germany’s probable team

Neuer, Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Romm, Goretzka, Pavlovic, Wirtz, Musiala, Havertz, Undaw… The German team is known for its fast passing, aggressive midfield and strong defense.

Curaçao’s probable team

Room, Brenet, Gari, Obispo, Florenas, L. Bakuna, J. Bacuna, Gore, Chong, Kastanir, Margarita… the Curaçao team will rely mostly on counter attack and defensive structure.

Schedule of the fourth day in FIFA World Cup 2026

After this, the second match will be played between Netherlands and Japan on June 15 Indian time at Dallas Stadium. This match will start at 1:30 pm.
On June 15 itself, Ivory Coast and Ecuador will clash at the Philadelphia Stadium from 4:30 am Indian time.
The match between Sweden and Tunisia will start at Monterey Stadium at 7:30 am.