Undav masterclass fires Germany into World Cup knockout stage

Four-time champions Germany came from behind to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in Group E, booking their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA 2026 World Cup thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Deniz Undav.

The substitute emerged as Germany’s hero once again, scoring in the 94th minute after earlier cancelling out Franck Kessie’s first-half opener for the Ivorians.

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Kessie Gives Ivory Coast Early Advantage

Ivory Coast stunned the Germans by taking the lead in the 30th minute when captain Franck Kessie calmly poked the ball past veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after a lively start from the African side.

Germany thought they had opened the scoring before the first cooling break, but the effort was ruled out following a foul on Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Undav Changes the Game

The Germans continued to push forward and saw a Kai Havertz goal disallowed, frustrating Julian Nagelsmann’s side as they searched for a breakthrough.

That breakthrough finally arrived midway through the second half when Undav volleyed home a precise cross from Nadiem Amiri to level the scores at 1-1.

Injury-Time Winner Seals Qualification

With both teams pushing for a winner, Germany dominated the closing stages and were rewarded deep into added time.

Felix Nmecha slipped a pass into the path of Undav, who kept his composure to finish past Fofana and complete the turnaround.

The goal capped another influential cameo from the striker, who had already contributed a goal and two assists after coming off the bench in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Curaçao in their opening match.

Germany Through, Ivory Coast Face Final-Day Battle

The victory sends Germany into the last 32 with a perfect six points from two matches and guarantees their progression from Group E.

Ivory Coast remain on three points and will now need a positive result in their final group game to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Ecuador and Curaçao face each other later on Saturday in the other Group E fixture, with the outcome set to shape the battle for the remaining qualification spot.