Undav’s two goals fire Germany past Ivory Coast and into the next round

Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 overnight from Saturday to Sunday at the 2026 World Cup, securing its place in the next stage after a difficult match. The team had opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over Curacao, but this time needed a substitute to decide it.

That match-winner was Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav. He came on in the 60th minute, scored eight minutes later, and completed the comeback in the 94th minute with a superb brace. Across his national-team career, Undav has now scored nine goals in 11 appearances, or 427 minutes in total, and added four assists, meaning he has been directly involved in 13 Germany goals, roughly one every 32 minutes.

In this tournament alone, Undav has three goals and two assists in just 60 minutes, a direct contribution every 12 minutes. German media described him as the “perfect joker” and the “ideal substitution,” praising his movement, his sharp volley, and the fact that he started the move that led to his first goal. Former Nigeria international Afen Okoku said Undav was “the only player who managed to break free from the opposing defense” and added that he has “a striker’s instincts.”

Germany has scored nine goals in the tournament so far, and six of them have come from substitutes, more than any other team. The article was published on June 21, 2026.