Germany’s World Cup campaign begins Tuesday with a Group A opener against minnows Curaçao, a nation of 160,000 people that has never before qualified for the tournament. Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who led Russia to the 2018 quarter-finals, told the *Tagesspiegel* that Joachim Nagelsmann’s side are “co-favorites” alongside hosts Mexico, Argentina and France .
Curaçao’s 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in March secured the smallest-ever World Cup debutant a place in the 48-team finals. The draw paired them with Germany, Ecuador and a play-off winner yet to be determined. “It’s a great draw for us,” Hiddink said. “We have a chance to show what we can do.”
The match kicks off at 21:00 local time in Mexico City, where the Mexican Meteorological Service has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms and possible hurricanes. The *Welt* reports that heavy rain could disrupt the opening ceremony and the first game .
Spain, meanwhile, will field rising star Lamine Yamal in their opener against Brazil after the 18-year-old recovered from a groin strain. Al Jazeera writes that Yamal is expected to start in Dallas on Friday .
Iran faces the most logistical hurdles. The team flew from Turkey to Mexico on Saturday after completing a 15-day camp in Antalya, but 15 staff members still lack US visas. Iran’s envoy to Mexico told Yeni Şafak that the squad must enter and leave the United States on the same day for each match, forcing Nagelsmann’s German delegation to scrap plans for a training base in Arizona .
Back in Frankfurt, local authorities have relaxed noise ordinances to allow night-time fan celebrations after matches. The *Frankfurter Allgemeine* reports that public screenings will be permitted until 02:00 on weekdays and 04:00 on weekends, provided organisers keep noise below 85 decibels .
Germany’s squad moved into their Winston-Salem base on Sunday, a day after a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in their final pre-tournament friendly. Nagelsmann, interviewed by the *Tagesspiegel*, said the move to North Carolina would help the team focus on recovery and tactical fine-tuning before the tournament curtain-raiser .
With kick-off less than 24 hours away, the world’s attention turns to Mexico City, where the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup will attempt to write its first chapter in football history.