Deniz Undav: Germany's goal-getter and Julian Nagelsmann's not-so-secret weapon
Flourishing Deniz Undav continued his exceptional goalscoring exploits to book Germany’s place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 after the VfB Stuttgart forward’s brace secured a dramatic late comeback victory against a physical Côte d'Ivoire.
After an emphatic 7-1 win over Curaçao in Germany’s Group E opener, Les Éléphants demanded significantly more from Julian Nagelsmann’s charges - before a “Wild Boar” tamed them.
Wary of Côte d'Ivoire’s attacking players, whom Antonio Rüdiger dubbed as “express trains” because of their direct running and explosive speed, Joshua Kimmich failed to contain RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande for the opening goal.
Nagelsmann’s side struggled primarily with the sheer physicality of Côte d'Ivoire, led by captain and goalscorer Franck Kessié. With Ibrahim Sangaré, former Bayer Leverkusen player Odilon Kossounou and towering defenders Emmanuel Agbadou and Wilfried Singo, several players nearly 6’3” (1.90m) or more were on the pitch. For the agile but physically outmatched Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, duels against the African participants proved difficult to win.
Watch: Every Deniz Undav goal in 2025/26
"Überragend"
That, though, changed dramatically with the introduction of Undav. Stuttgart’s goal-getter, affectionately dubbed “Wild Boar” by TV pundit and World Cup 2014 winner Christoph Kramer, turned the game around with a brace following his introduction on the hour mark - his second strike exhibiting a sensational first touch and powerful finish past Yahia Fofana in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory.
“That’s what we were missing,” expressed Nagelsmann. “We were playing around the edges a lot. With him, we had more attacking impetus. He’s simply a natural striker.” Jonathan Tah also raved about his compatriot, adding: “Deniz deserves a special mention again today. Outstanding.”
Thomas Müller, who scored 10 World Cup goals for Germany, heaped praised Germany’s No.26. “He has exceptional qualities,” the former Bayern Munich star told MagentaTV. “Not everyone in the team could score that last goal.”
Undav, after plundering 19 goals and providing six assists in 29 Bundesliga games for Stuttgart in 2025/26, has carried over his red-hot scoring streak to the national team. “A lot of things are going well right now,” he explained. “I’m riding the wave.”
His brace against Côte d'Ivoire were his fifth and sixth goals for Germany in 2026 and with three goals and two assists, no player has been involved in more goals at this World Cup. With their knockout place confirmed, Nagelsmann hinted that a future start for Germany’s not-so-secret weapon is “absolutely within the realm of possibility.”
