Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday in the second round of Group E at the 2026 World Cup in Toronto, preserving a perfect record thanks to a dramatic 94th-minute goal by Deniz Undav. The substitute striker had already equalized in the 68th minute, after Germany trailed from Frank Kessie’s 30th-minute strike.
The match was far tighter than Germany’s 7-1 rout of Curacao, as Ivory Coast played aggressively and created several chances to extend its lead. The African side looked dangerous in attack and could have scored more, but Germany’s experience and late substitutions again made the difference. Julian Nagelsmann’s bench decided the game, with Undav scoring twice and Nadiem Amiri providing the assist for the equalizer.
The victory secured Germany a place in the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time since its 2014 title run. Germany had been eliminated in the group stage in each of the previous two tournaments. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, must wait until the final group match to learn whether it can reach the knockout rounds for the first time in its history.
Germany had several chances before conceding, including disallowed goals for Robert Andrich and Kai Havertz, while Ivory Coast also threatened repeatedly before Kessie put it ahead. In the final minutes, Ivory Coast spurned a major chance through Nicolas Pepe and Simon Adingra, before Maximilian Mittelstädt found Undav for the winner. Juan Gabriel Benitez of Paraguay officiated at BMO Field in Toronto.
