World Cup 2026: Undav’s brace lifts Germany past Ivory Coast in Group E thriller

Germany booked their place in the Round of 32 in dramatic fashion after Deniz Undav scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, to seal a thrilling 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in Toronto.

In one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far, Germany had to come from behind to overcome a resilient Ivorian side and maintain their perfect start to Group E.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men dominated large spells of the first half and created several promising opportunities through Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Lukas Nmecha. However, despite their pressure, it was Ivory Coast who struck first.

The Elephants punished Germany on the counterattack when Amad Diallo’s initial effort was brilliantly blocked by Nathaniel Brown. The rebound fell kindly to Franck Kessie, who reacted quickest to smash home from close range and give the African side a surprise lead.

Germany thought they had equalised on two separate occasions before halftime, but both goals were ruled out. Nmecha had one effort chalked off for a foul in the build-up, while Musiala also saw a goal disallowed after the referee judged there had been an infringement.

With Germany struggling to find a breakthrough, Nagelsmann turned to his bench, introducing Deniz Undav as part of a triple substitution. The move completely changed the match.

The Stuttgart forward made an immediate impact in the 68th minute. Nadiem Amiri delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area that narrowly missed Havertz but found Undav arriving unmarked. The striker made no mistake, volleying past Yahia Fofana to level the scores.

Germany continued to push for a winner as Ivory Coast defended bravely and threatened on the counterattack through the lively Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande.

Just when the match appeared destined for a draw, Germany produced one final moment of quality.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Nmecha showed excellent composure before threading a precise pass into Undav inside the penalty area. The striker took a touch, spun away from his marker and unleashed a powerful finish beyond Fofana to spark wild celebrations among the German supporters.

The victory was deserved based on the statistics, with Germany finishing the match with a higher expected goals figure of 1.83 compared to Ivory Coast’s 1.23.

The result guarantees Germany a place in the Round of 32 and leaves them on the brink of winning Group E. A point from their final group match will secure top spot, although they could also finish first if Ecuador fail to defeat Curacao.

For Ivory Coast, the defeat is a painful one. After opening their campaign with victory over Ecuador, they now head into the final group game knowing they may need a positive result to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

The night, however, belonged to Undav. The German forward once again proved his value, taking his tally to five goal contributions in just 56 minutes of World Cup football and delivering the goals that sent Germany through.