Germany made an emphatic statement on their return to World Cup football, brushing aside debutants Curaçao with a 7-1 demolition at Houston’s NRG Stadium to open their Group E campaign in style.

The four-time world champions needed little time to settle into their stride, and by the final whistle, had handed the Caribbean minnows a harsh introduction to life on the global stage.

The rout began early when Felix Nmecha put Germany ahead in the sixth minute, giving Julian Nagelsmann’s side the perfect start. But Curaçao, who had stunned the football world by becoming the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup, refused to be cowed and hit back through Livano Comenencia in the 21st minute.

The equaliser sparked wild scenes of celebration among the island nation’s supporters, marking a historic moment as Curaçao’s first ever goal at a World Cup finals.

That, however, was as good as it got for the Caribbean side. Germany regained the lead through Nico Schlotterbeck in the 38th minute, before Kai Havertz converted a penalty in the dying moments of the first half to make it 3-1 at the break. The second half turned into a procession for the Europeans, with Jamal Musiala extending the advantage just two minutes after the restart. Nathaniel Brown then got in on the act in the 68th minute, followed by Deniz Undav’s strike in the 78th, before Havertz completed his brace with a second goal in the 88th minute to put the finishing touches on a record-equalling scoreline.

The 7-1 margin will inevitably draw comparisons to Germany’s famous 2014 World Cup semi-final demolition of host nation Brazil, which finished by the same score. For Curaçao, the result is a stark reminder of the gulf in class at this level, though the team can still take pride in having found the net on their World Cup debut.

With Ecuador and Côte d’Ivoire still to come in Group E, Dick Advocaat’s side will need significant improvement if they are to salvage anything from their historic first appearance, with their goal difference now firmly in the negative. Germany, meanwhile, head into their remaining fixtures against Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador as firm favourites to advance from the group in style.