Germany won 2-1 against Ivory Coast in their World Cup Group E match on June 20 in Toronto, securing a spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 2014 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Deniz Undav came off the bench to score both goals for Germany, continuing his remarkable scoring streak with 9 goals in his last 8 matches for the national team, including 3 goals at this World Cup [2, 6, 3, 7, 8, 4, 5, 9]. Ivory Coast opened the scoring through Franck Kessie in the first half, but Germany responded with Undav's late goals to clinch the win [2, 4, 5].
Germany had two goals disallowed in the first half due to fouls involving Ivory Coast players, adding tension to the tight match [2, 4]. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann called the win "deserved and emotional," praising the whole team's effort. He said, "Every player that came into the match was important" and hinted that Undav might start the next match against Ecuador [3, 7, 5]. Nagelsmann also noted Undav's readiness: "When the game opens up he's really great at moving around. Deniz is nobody who needs to be prepared; he can jump in right away" [3].
Undav’s rise is notable as he was rejected by Werder Bremen at 14 and worked full-time factory jobs while playing lower-division football. He is of Kurdish Yazidi heritage, the first player with this background to represent Germany at a major tournament [8, 10, 11]. Undav scored 19 Bundesliga goals in the 2025-26 season and was signed permanently by VfB Stuttgart for €26.7 million after an 18-goal loan spell [10, 11].
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae praised his team’s effort but lamented missed chances: "A difference in experience that meant in the chances that we did have at the end of the game, where we needed to find the back of the net, we were hesitant. We still have everything to play for" [5]. Ivory Coast remains second in Group E with 3 points after two matches [2, 4].
Germany topped Group E with 6 points after two games [2, 4]. However, there are concerns over defender Nico Schlotterbeck’s fitness ahead of their final group match [9]. Germany will face Ecuador on June 25 in New Jersey, while Ivory Coast meets Curacao in Philadelphia the same day [4, 5, 9]. Curacao drew 0-0 with Ecuador on June 20, keeping their knockout hopes alive [12].
