How Germany Could Line Up vs. Curaçao in World Cup Opener

Germany is set to kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against debutants Curaçao at Houston Stadium in the USA this Sunday evening. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that Manuel Neuer will start in goal, taking precedence over Oliver Baumann. The outfield positions remain somewhat undecided, however. In Germany's final warm-up fixture against the USA, Nathaniel Brown was deployed at left-back, and he seems to be Nagelsmann's preferred choice over David Raum.

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The back four is expected to feature Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, and Joshua Kimmich alongside Brown. In midfield, Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha have been consistent starters in the double pivot during the warm-up matches, but they will face competition from Nadiem Amiri, Leon Goretzka, and Angelo Stiller.

Lennar Karl's injury has ruled him out of the tournament, which opens up a starting spot for Leroy Sané. He is likely to be joined in the attack by Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz spearheading the front line. Deniz Undav and Nick Woltemade are expected to be available from the bench as options for Nagelsmann during the match.