Germany secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time since 2014 after a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Ivory Coast in a Group E match on Saturday in Toronto. The win puts the four-time world champions on six points and books their spot in the Round of 32.
The match began with Ivory Coast taking a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute through a goal by Franck Kessié. Germany faced a challenging test from the youngest team at the tournament, a stark contrast to their 7-1 win over Curaçao six days prior.
Deniz Undav emerged as the hero in a super sub role, scoring two goals after being brought on in the second half. Undav cancelled out the deficit with an equaliser in the 68th minute before scoring the winning goal in the 94th minute.
Following the late heroics that rescued the match, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann stated that Undav could earn his first World Cup start.