Deniz Undav put himself in pole position to start for Germany moving forward at the World Cup 2026 after he scored two goals off the bench a thrilling comeback to beat Ivory Coast.
The 2-1 victory in their World Cup Group E match on Saturday secured their place in the knockout stage for the first time since they won the title in 2014.
After having two goals disallowed in the first half, Germany did not lose focus and used intricate passing to find their way while the West Africans produced their dynamic brand of attacking football in a wild encounter at Toronto Stadium.
“This is a really important victory,” said versatile striker Undav, who now has nine goals in his last eight matches. “We showed great character today.”
Undav levelled the score with a controlled, volleyed finish in the 68th minute and struck again in stoppage time `when he received a pass on the turn, before swivelling and firing home a ball that Yahia Fofana had no chance at stopping.
Simon Adingra had a late chance for Ivory Coast but he failed to get a shot off in the area before Germany charged back down the field where Fofana blocked a low shot from Nathaniel Brown.
And Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann conceded Undav may now start against Ecuador on Thursday in New York.
“Maybe he can start next time,” said the Germany coach. “I think that every player would love to be in the starting lineup, but I think he’s very happy as it is right now.
“In the end, we deservedly won it. The boys invested a lot. I’m very happy for the whole team.”
While German defender Jonathan Tah added: “We had exactly what it takes to succeed in a tournament, a winning mentality, team spirit. We didn’t give up; we just kept going.
“The guys coming off the bench brought new energy to the game. Deniz deserves special mention. He was outstanding.”
