Curacao fans celebrate first World Cup goal despite 7-1 loss to Germany

Livano Comenencia’s name will never be forgotten in Curacao. The forward buried a goal in the 21st minute against Germany on June 14, briefly leveling the score at 1-1 and etching his country’s name into World Cup history for the first time.

Germany went on to win 7-1. Curacao’s fans did not care. Not even a little.

A nation of under 200,000 on the world’s biggest stage

Curacao is the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The Caribbean island territory has fewer residents than most mid-sized American cities.

The expanded 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup is what made this possible. FIFA’s decision to widen the tournament opened the door for footballing minnows who previously had zero realistic path to qualifying.

Felix Nmecha had opened the scoring for Germany in the 6th minute. Then Comenencia equalized. Kai Havertz scored twice. Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav each added goals of their own.

“For us it’s a win”

Curacao supporters in Houston celebrated Comenencia’s goal like a last-minute winner in a final. Social media filled with clips of fans in the stands hugging, crying, and waving the Curacao flag.

“For us it’s a win. Scoring against a giant is just next level for us.”

What the expanded World Cup means for football’s underdogs

The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, is the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32. Before June 14, 2026, Curacao had never scored a World Cup goal. Now they have one, scored against Germany, and it briefly tied the match.

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