Germany open their World Cup 2026 on Sunday, June 14 against Curaçao in Houston, carrying the field’s most fascinating subplot in goal: Manuel Neuer, 40, reversed his international retirement for a fifth World Cup. Here is the complete Group E guide — fixtures in ET, the squad, and how to watch in the US.
Group E: the lay of the land
The draw gave Germany Group E with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curaçao. Ecuador are the clear second seed and a genuinely awkward final opponent; Ivory Coast bring athletic, front-foot football; Curaçao arrive as one of the smallest nations ever to qualify for a World Cup.
Germany’s map spans three countries — Houston, Toronto, then New Jersey — making them one of the few contenders to play in all three host nations during the group stage alone.
Germany fixtures: Group E schedule (ET)
Every Germany group-stage match, with venues and Eastern Time kickoffs from the official tournament schedule.
| Date (2026) | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, June 14 | Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston | 1:00 PM | FOX or FS1 / Telemundo |
| Sat, June 20 | Ivory Coast | Toronto Stadium, Toronto | 4:00 PM | FOX or FS1 / Telemundo |
| Thu, June 25 | Ecuador | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ | 4:00 PM | FOX or FS1 / Telemundo |
Houston’s NRG Stadium is fully covered and air-conditioned — relevant in a tournament where heat management is a real variable, as our heat and altitude breakdown shows.
The squad: Nagelsmann’s 26
Julian Nagelsmann named his squad on May 21 with Joshua Kimmich as captain and two of the world’s best young playmakers — Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz — as its creative heart. Musiala has fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered at last summer’s Club World Cup, and Nagelsmann says he has been “getting better and better.”
The stunner was in goal: Manuel Neuer, 40, came out of international retirement for a fifth World Cup. One late change reshaped the depth chart — Lennart Karl withdrew injured on June 5 and was replaced by Assan Ouédraogo.
World Cup pedigree
Four titles (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), eight finals, and more World Cup matches won than any nation except Brazil. The recent past is the anomaly: group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022 — the kind of collapse that features in our ranking of the biggest World Cup shocks — make 2026 a credibility tournament for the four-time champions.
Tactical profile
Nagelsmann plays a high-risk, high-reward 4-2-3-1: aggressive counter-pressing, a high defensive line, and Musiala and Wirtz interchanging between the lines. When the press lands, Germany generate elite expected goals (xG) from turnovers; when it is beaten, the space behind the line is the known vulnerability.
Kimmich’s hybrid role — nominal right-back stepping into midfield in possession — remains the structural key that lets both playmakers stay high.
How to watch in the USA
Every Germany match airs in English on FOX or FS1 with streaming on the FOX Sports app; Spanish-language coverage runs on Telemundo or Universo with all matches streaming on Peacock.
Window-by-window detail is in our US broadcast guide, and official team news is on FIFA’s tournament site.
FAQ
When does Germany play their first World Cup 2026 match?
Germany open against Curaçao on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Is Manuel Neuer playing at World Cup 2026?
Yes. Neuer, 40, reversed his international retirement and was named in Nagelsmann’s squad for a fifth World Cup, a record for a German goalkeeper.
Who is in Germany’s World Cup 2026 group?
Group E contains Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curaçao. Germany play Curaçao June 14 in Houston, Ivory Coast June 20 in Toronto, and Ecuador June 25 at MetLife Stadium.
What channel are Germany matches on in the USA?
In English on FOX or FS1 (streaming via the FOX Sports app); in Spanish on Telemundo or Universo, with every match streaming on Peacock.