Deniz Undav’s Stoppage-Time Brace Sends Germany Into World Cup Round of 32 After 2–1 Win Over Ivory Coast

Deniz Undav’s Stoppage-Time Brace Sends Germany Into World Cup Round of 32 After 2–1 Win Over Ivory Coast

Germany came from a goal down to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group E encounter at Toronto Stadium, thanks to Deniz Undav’s dramatic winner deep in added time. In the first-ever competitive meeting between both sides, the Germans overcame a determined Ivory Coast side that matched them for long stretches of the match. The African nation went ahead through captain Franck Kessie in the first half before a second-half collapse to the Europeans. However, substitute Deniz Undav turned the game on its head with two clinical finishes in a match where Ivory Coast failed to take their chances before Die Mannschaft scored the late winner.

Ivory Coast took control of the match in the first half when captain Franck Kessie blasted in a rebound in the 30th minute, giving the African side a deserved lead following a lively start. The goal came after Yan Diomande sent in a cross to forward Amad Diallo, whose shot was blocked by Germany’s Nathaniel Brown, but the ball bounced back to Kessie, who slotted it into the wide-open left corner of the net. Germany had two goals disallowed in a frustrating first half. The first came in the 21st minute when Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana batted the ball into his own net, but Germany midfielder Aleksander Pavlovic made illegal contact with Fofana on the play. The second came in the 38th minute when Jamal Musiala was called for a foul in the buildup to what would have been a Kai Havertz goal.

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With Germany trailing and struggling to break down Ivory Coast’s resolute defense, coach Julian Nagelsmann made a triple substitution around the hour mark, bringing on Deniz Undav, Nadiem Amiri, and Jamie Leweling. The decision proved inspired. Just eight minutes after coming on, Undav leveled the score in the 68th minute. Amiri delivered a precise long ball that Kai Havertz cleverly let run through to Undav, who slammed home the equalizer from close range. Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana produced multiple saves in the latter stages to keep the Elephants in the encounter, but could not do anything about the winner four minutes into added time. Undav received a pass from Felix Nmecha in front of the net, controlled expertly, and rifled it past Fofana to complete his brace and break Ivorian hearts.

“You can see that the players who come off the bench can decide games. Now we have a really important signal to the team. I think that’s very important in a game like this,” Undav said after the match. Nagelsmann added: “Deniz is someone who doesn’t need to be prepared, he can jump in right away”. Germany collected six points from two Group E matches, secured sole possession of first place, and clinched a spot in the World Cup knockout stage. The Germans advanced from the group stage for the first time since 2014, when they went on to win their fourth World Cup title. They had suffered disappointing group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022. The victory extended Germany’s winning streak to 11 matches, dating back to September 2025. Ivory Coast, who beat Ecuador 1-0 in their opener, now have three points from two matches and face a must-win final group match against Curacao to keep their hopes of a first-ever knockout-stage appearance alive. Curacao’s hard-fought draw against Ecuador brought about its first point in the World Cup, setting up a dramatic final matchday in Group E.

Deniz Undav’s Stoppage-Time Brace Sends Germany Into World Cup Round of 32 After 2–1 Win Over Ivory Coast