The result secures Germany advancement to the playoffs for the first time since the World Cup gold in 2014.
Deniz Undav came in from the bench and became Germany’s hero – for the second World Cup game in a row. With two goals, he turned the game around against a very impressive Ivory Coast in Toronto, sending Germany through to the knockout rounds.
Franck Kessie had given the “elephants” the lead before half-time, and 19-year-old Yan Diomande gave the German defence nightmares all evening, yet an African team was fully deserved in the lead at the change of sides.
Read: Liverpool make Yan Diomande one of the most expensive players in club history
Germany has one of the world’s best players in the squad, but unfortunately coach Julian Nagelsmann is broiling as national team manager. – German football fans dream of Jürgen Klopp taking over. – If that happens, Germany will again be a serious gold candidate.
The 29-year-old’s place in Germany’s World Cup squad was far from certain after a public altercation with Nagelsmann following his winning goal as a substitute against Ghana in March.
Undav had spoken openly about his ambition to push for a starting role with Germany – only for the former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich manager to react by warning that he was putting unnecessary pressure on himself with such comments.
Nagelsmann suggested that Undav would not have scored if he had played from the start, before later revealing that he had apologized to the striker.
And Undav has since let his football speak – in an emphatic way.
So much so that he is now in serious competition for a starting place in the World Cup, having increased the number of goals by nine in 11 international matches.
“Yes, definitely,” Nagelsmann said after Saturday’s win, when asked if Undav could start Germany’s final group game against Ecuador on Thursday.
“I said before that we can talk a lot about the different approaches. Why should I ruin his flow? He came on twice and scored two goals.”
This is just the latest chapter in a remarkable journey for a striker who has made his career defy expectations.
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“I had to do that job for the money to live”
With his double against the Ivorians, Undav became the first German to score in his first two World Cup appearances since Miroslav Klose in 2002.
It’s elite company – but at one point, participating in a World Cup was a distant dream for Undav, who was rejected by Werder Bremen as a 14-year-old.
At 17, he earned £120 a week as a semi-professional in the German fourth division, while balancing his football career with eight-hour shifts in a factory.
“When Werder told me as a 14-year-old that I didn’t have a future with them because I was too small, it broke my heart,” Undav said in an interview with Belgian newspaper 7sur7.
“But I didn’t give up hope. I left the family home at the age of 17 to sign for Havelse in the fourth division in Germany, where I combined gaming and training with working full-time, eight hours a day operating a laser machine in a factory.
“I got up around 4:00 a.m., went to the factory, then went to the gym and came home around 8:00 p.m. … before I did it all again the next day.
“I had to do that job to survive, because I couldn’t survive on the money from football alone.”
Undav moved to Belgian second-division side Union Saint-Gilloise in 2020, helping them get promoted the following year, then scoring 25 goals in the top flight – earning him a move to Brighton.
However, after scoring only five goals in 22 Premier League games in the 2022-23 season, he was loaned to Stuttgart, who signed him permanently in 2024.
Undav scored 19 Bundesliga goals in 2025-26 – finishing second behind Harry Kane on the all-time scoring list – and thus secured the World Cup spot.
After the shocking start to the game, Julian Nagelsmann’s side fought their way back. Undav equalized in the 68th minute – and when everyone thought the game was over, he reappeared. In the 94th minute , he scored the winning goal and sent Germany to the knockout stages for the first time since their triumph in Brazil twelve years ago.
For Ivory Coast, who beat Ecuador in their opening match, the loss was brutal – but the performance gave hope. The young elephants showed that they can certainly fight for advancement for the first time in their history.
The elephants shocked Germany
Germany started the best. Already after ten minutes, Kai Havertz headed just over after a precise Joshua Kimmich cross, but Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana saved elegantly.
Felix Nmecha fired a shot that was deflected just over – and from the ensuing corner kick, Aleksandar Pavlovic’s header was nullified after a tackle on Fofana.
Just when Germany was pushing hardest, Ivory Coast struck.
Yan Diomande – the 19-year-old gem that Liverpool and PSG reportedly follow – showed why. He tricked Kimmich along the set-piece and hit a dangerous cross in front of goal. In the chaos that followed, Nathanial Brown blocked a shot from Amad, but Franck Kessie was in the right place for the rebound and made it 1-0 – to the youngest team in the championship.
Germany seemed to equalize soon after, when Havertz rolled the ball into the goal – but the referee blew for a free kick in the build-up. The goal was annulled.
Entertaining second half – and Undav display
With a lead until halftime, Ivory Coast came out with new courage. The young Chris Inao had a great chance, but shot just over.
The Ivorians played bravely and disciplined, keeping Germany at bay with long shots and half-chances – until Deniz Undav came in.
For the second game in a row, he showed class. After 68 minutes, he nodded in the equaliser from close range, after a brilliant cross from substitute Nadiem Amiri.
Now the game opened up.
Ivory Coast should have taken the lead again when Simon Adingra came alone with the goalkeeper, but hesitated too long. Instead of finishing on the first touch, he took an extra one – and the chance disappeared.
At the other end, Fofana saved a shot from Brown – and minutes later he had to go out again to stop Undav from scoring.
But the hero did not let himself be stopped twice. In injury time, he turned beautifully away from Nmecha and hammered in 2-1.
Germany is ahead. Undav is irresistible. Côte d’Ivoire is tremendously promising.
