Al-Wakrah Overview

Julian Nagelsmann has dropped a selection bombshell ahead of Germany’s 2026 World Cup opener against Curacao by confirming Manuel Neuer will start in goal. The veteran Bayern Munich shot-stopper is set to make his first appearance for Die Mannschaft in two years as they begin their campaign in Houston.

Four nations will debut at the World Cup this summer, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It's 16 years since a newcomer made it into the knockout stages of the tournament, when Slovakia stunned holders Italy to eliminate them in South Africa. So do any of this year's debutants have the potential to replicate such heroics?

Curaçao 2026 kits revealed - jerseys that celebrate the island's debut at the World Cup.

Four nations will make debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It will be the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and all will have ambitions of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages.