TORONTO — In an impressive display, Deniz Undav scored two second-half goals to lead Germany to a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday, securing their place in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Undav’s first goal came in the 68th minute, following a long pass from Nadiem Amiri. The ball fell to Undav after Kai Havertz couldn’t gather it, and Undav capitalized by firing it into the net. Both players had only been on the pitch for eight minutes after making their substitutions.
“It’s crucial for everyone to understand that players coming off the bench can change the course of a game,” Undav remarked, noting his role in Germany’s previous 7-1 victory over Curaçao. “This sends an important message to the team, particularly in a match like this.”
Germany, a four-time champion, has bounced back from early exits in 2018 and 2022, whereas the Ivory Coast is still aiming for their first knockout stage appearance but remains in contention. The last time Germany advanced from the group stage was in 2014, culminating in their tournament victory.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made history during the match, registering his 21st World Cup appearance, surpassing France’s Hugo Lloris for the most games played by a goalkeeper in the tournament’s history.
With this victory, Germany joins co-hosts Mexico and the United States in advancing to the Round of 32.
“I believe we showcased great character today,” Undav added. “Our goal is to achieve as much as we can.”
Undav has distinguished himself as the fourth player in World Cup history to contribute both a tying and a winning goal as a substitute within the same match.
Germany’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, praised Undav, stating, “He is someone who can step in immediately without needing preparation.”
The only setback for Germany was the injury to defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who had to leave the game at halftime.
“We’ll have to wait for the scans, but the initial signs aren’t promising,” Nagelsmann indicated. “He did exceptionally well to continue until halftime; now we just need to await further updates.”
Germany’s next challenge will be against Ecuador in their final group stage match on Thursday, while Ivory Coast will face Curaçao at the same time.
In the 30th minute, Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessié opened the scoring at BMO Field in Toronto. A cross from midfielder Yan Diomande found forward Amad Diallo, whose shot was saved by Germany‘s Nathaniel Brown, but the rebound fell perfectly for Kessié to slot in the opening goal.
Germany had two goals disallowed in a frustrating first half. The first disallowed goal came in the 21st minute when Fofana accidentally redirected the ball into his own net; however, contact by Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic nullified the play.
The second goal was thwarted in the 38th minute due to a foul call against Jamal Musiala, which occurred before what would have been a goal from Havertz.
Despite going to court to resolve his entry into Canada, Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is under investigation for alleged betting violations while with Nice, did not participate in the match.
Contributions from The Associated Press, ESPN’s Julien Laurens, and ESPN Research aided this report.