Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice in the second half as Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match at Toronto Stadium, securing a place in the knockout stage for the first time since winning the tournament in 2014.
Undav entered the match just after the hour mark with Germany trailing 1-0. Within eight minutes he had levelled the score and then struck deep into stoppage time to complete the comeback.
“It is a really important victory,” said Undav. “We showed great character today.”
The forward has now scored nine goals in his last eight appearances for Germany.
Germany began brightly and nearly took the lead immediately when Kai Havertz won a header from kick-off before firing narrowly over the crossbar. Havertz was again involved moments later when Joshua Kimmich delivered a precise cross, but Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana denied the striker with a low save.
The Germans thought they had broken the deadlock midway through the first half when Aleksandar Pavlovic headed in from a corner. However, the effort was ruled out after the midfielder was judged to have fouled Fofana in the challenge.
Despite spending long periods under pressure, Ivory Coast remained dangerous on the counterattack. Their breakthrough came after Yan Diomande surged down the left flank and delivered a low cross into the area. Amad Diallo’s effort was blocked, but Franck Kessie reacted quickest to convert the rebound and put the African side ahead.
The goal left Germany trailing at halftime despite dominating possession and creating several chances. It marked only the fourth occasion in their last 36 matches that Germany had gone into the break behind.
With more than 100,000 people of German ancestry living in Toronto, the four-time world champions enjoyed strong support inside the stadium but faced growing frustration as chances went begging.
Germany also had another goal disallowed before the interval. Jamal Musiala found the net, only for the referee to penalise a foul by the German attack during the build-up.
Julian Nagelsmann responded by making changes after the break. The Germany coach introduced Nadiem Amiri and Undav shortly after the hour mark in an attempt to inject urgency into his side’s attack.
The substitutions had an immediate impact.
In the 68th minute, Amiri delivered a precise cross into the penalty area and Undav rose to head home the equaliser.
Ivory Coast nearly restored their lead soon after. Substitute Nicolas Pepe broke down the right and found Evann Guessand, whose movement created space for Simon Adingra on the opposite side of the box. However, Adingra’s heavy touch allowed Germany’s defenders to recover and clear the danger.
The missed opportunity proved costly.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Lukas Nmecha slipped a pass through the heart of the Ivory Coast defence. Undav received the ball, turned sharply and fired beyond Fofana to complete the turnaround and send Germany into the knockout rounds.
Adingra had another late opportunity but was unable to get a shot away inside the area before Germany launched the decisive attack.
© instagram.com/dfb_team“We wanted to make history today,” said Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo. “But I think everything was a little tight.”
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his team’s persistence and the impact made by the substitutes.
“I am very happy that we won the match. In the end, we deservedly won it,” Nagelsmann said.
“The boys invested a lot. I’m very happy for the whole team because everyone knew they were important. Every player that came into the match was important.”
Nagelsmann highlighted Undav’s ability to influence games immediately after entering from the bench.
“When the game opens up he’s really great at moving around,” the coach said. “Deniz is nobody who needs to be prepared; he can jump in right away.”
The Germany manager admitted he was unhappy with parts of his team’s performance, particularly during the opening stages of both halves.
“I wanted to move something by bringing them in,” Nagelsmann said of his substitutions. “As the game went on, we took more risks.”
Defender Jonathan Tah also praised the squad’s resilience after falling behind.
“We had exactly what it takes to succeed in a tournament, a winning mentality, team spirit,” Tah said.
“We didn’t give up; we just kept going. The guys coming off the bench brought new energy to the game. Deniz deserves special mention. He was outstanding.”
The victory moves Germany to six points from two matches and guarantees progress to the knockout stage. They will conclude their Group E campaign against Ecuador in New Jersey.
Ivory Coast remain on three points after two matches and will face Curaçao in Philadelphia in a crucial final group-stage fixture as they continue their bid to reach the knockout rounds.
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