Undav undoes Cote d'Ivoire to send Germany into 2026 World Cup knockout stages

Second-half substitute Deniz Undav scored twice as Germany came from behind to beat Cote d'Ivoire 2-1 – and advance to the knockout stages at the World Cup for the first time since they won the title in 2014.

Issued on: 21/06/2026 - 00:49Modified: 21/06/2026 - 05:42

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Ivorian skipper Franck Kessié put his side ahead in the 30th minute at the Toronto Stadium.

And they kept the Germans at bay in a rugged, gritty contest until midway through the second half.

German midfielder Nadiem Amiri crossed the ball from the right wing and Undav ran in between Ivorian defenders to volley it into the net past the Côte d'Ivoire goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Late chance wasted

At 1-1, with the game in its closing stages, Côte d'Ivoire substitute Nicolas Pépé zoomed down the right wing and sent a pass over to the unmarked Simon Adingra on the left side of the penalty area.

But rather than trying a first time shot to beat the Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the 24-year-old Ivorian took a touch and the German defence cleared the danger.

The Monaco striker, who was judged the young player of the tournament as Côte d'Ivoire surged to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2023, paid the price for his indecision a few minutes later.

Germany's Felix Nmecha picked up the ball in midfield and rifled a pass to Undav, who controlled it with his right foot and flashed a left-footed shot past Fofana.

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Germany claim pool

Undav, who plays for the Bundesliga club Stuttgart, was mobbed by his teammates.

"Winning mentality, team spirit – we had exactly what you need to be successful in a tournament," Germany defender Jonathan Tah told German broadcaster MagentaTV.

"We never gave up, we kept going no matter what. The guys coming off the bench brought energy. Deniz deserves a special mention, outstanding!"

Germany, with six points, will go into their final game in Group E against Ecuador on 25 June as group winners after Ecuador and Curaçao drew 0-0 in Kansas City.

Côte d'Ivoire would advance to the knockout stages for the first time with a win over Curaçao, who could also advance with a victory.

Ecuador must beat Germany and hope that Curaçao hold the Ivorians to a draw.