Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Rudiger a peripheral figure in Germany’s triumph over Curacao

Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Rudiger a peripheral figure in Germany’s triumph over Curacao For the second successive day at the 2026 FIFA World Cup , Real Madrid had a representative, although he played a very peripheral role for his nation. It was yet another day with four games at the tournament, with Germany starting off the proceedings with a 7-1 win over Curacao. It was the only game that had a Real Madrid player on display, Antonio Rudiger but the central defender did not start for his country. Julien Nagelsmann preferred to go with Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck, a much younger duo as the pairing in central defence. A peripheral role for Rudiger. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) Rudiger did come on though, in the second half, at a stage where Germany were already leading comfortably. Here is how the German fared. Antonio Rudiger vs Curacao Antonio Rudiger’s first appearance of the tournament was more of a late run-out. The Germany defender came on in the 73rd minute of their Group E opener against Curacao, replacing Jonathan Tah with the game already under control. By that point, Germany had done most of the damage. They eventually ran out 7-1 winners, with Kai Havertz scoring twice and goals also coming from Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav. No longer a starter for Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) Rudiger’s task was mainly to help close out the final stretch without any unnecessary drama. For Madrid, that’s not a bad thing. After a long club season, the ideal World Cup start for a senior defender is often simple: get minutes, avoid trouble, and build rhythm without being dragged into a physically demanding contest. Rudiger remains one of Germany’s most experienced defenders, and while he did not start this opener, he gives Julian Nagelsmann a serious option once the fixtures become more demanding. It remains to be seen what role he plays for Germany in the coming weeks.