Currently, besides Erling Haaland, no striker has a better scoring performance at the national team level than Deniz Undav, and the German team really needs him to continue to maintain that form.
The Stuttgart striker once again became a hero when he scored a double after coming on as a substitute, helping Germany come back to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1. With 9 goals in just 11 appearances for the national team, Undav is possessing an incredible scoring efficiency.
Undav currently leads the list of World Cup 2026 top scorers with 3 goals, equal to Lionel Messi and Jonathan David. What is special is that all three of his goals were scored after entering the field from the bench.
In a tournament witnessing many super substitutes shine, Undav is probably the most prominent name to date.
More important than the number of goals is the value they bring. Undav helped Germany reverse the situation against Ivory Coast and take the initiative in Group E. Thanks to this victory, Germany is almost certain to reach the knockout round, something they could not do in the last two World Cups.
After forgettable defeats in 2018 and 2022, when they were both eliminated right from the group stage, early admission is an important step forward for Julian Nagelsmann's team. However, the question about Germany's ability to go far at the 2026 World Cup remains open.
The 7-1 victory over Curacao in the opening match does not accurately reflect the true strength of the German team because the opponent is too weak. Against Ivory Coast, they encountered countless difficulties. The African team played disciplined, physically fit and caused Germany to be deadlocked for most of the match.
Nagelsmann's 4-2-3-1 formation showed a lack of breakthrough and was quite predictable. Despite controlling the ball up to 60%, Germany still had difficulty imposing the game. Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz all had chances but did not make a significant difference. Two goals were disallowed, further causing the white team to fall into a deadlock.
The turning point only came in the 60th minute when Nagelsmann made three substitutions at the same time. Leroy Sane, Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic left the field, replaced by Undav, Nadiem Amiri and Jamie Leweling.
What is noteworthy is not only the new personnel but also the change in the approach to the match. After Pavlovic left the field, Germany almost no longer had a real defensive midfielder, instead were players who tended to attack and be more creative. It was a risky gamble, but it was effective.
Just 8 minutes after entering the field, Undav scored the equalizer with a beautiful volley from Amiri's pass. In the last minute of injury time, he continued to shine with a decisive diving shot at the edge of the penalty area, sealing a 2-1 victory for Germany.
At the age of 29 and preparing to turn 30 right on the day of the World Cup final, Undav is in the most sublime stage of his career. Last season, he scored 25 goals and had 14 assists after 46 matches in all competitions for Stuttgart, making a great contribution to bringing the team back to the Champions League.
Maybe he will start in the next match. I think every player desires to be in the starting lineup, but currently Undav is very happy with what he has done" - Nagelsmann said after the match.
