Germany are back in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in 12 years. They will not dwell on how close they came to squandering it.
For an hour at Toronto Stadium on June 20, Julian Nagelsmann's side were staring at a shock defeat to Ivory Coast. Franck Kessié's close-range finish on 30 minutes — set up by the electrifying Yan Diomande — gave the Elephants a lead that looked ominous against a German starting XI that had spent the afternoon generating heat without light. Kai Havertz missed. Jamal Musiala missed. Two German goals were ruled out by VAR. With momentum draining, Nagelsmann reached for his bench.
What happened next will be discussed long after this tournament ends.
How did Deniz Undav rescue Germany?
Undav entered at the 60th minute[1]World Cup 2026: Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast - Deniz Undav scores 94th-minute winner in Group E clash“Deniz Undav's 94th-minute goal clinched a come-from-behind 2-1 victory for Germany against Ivory Coast; he scored the equaliser in the 68th minute from an Amiri cross and the winner from a Nmecha pass.” as part of a triple substitution alongside Nadiem Amiri and Jamie Leweling. Eight minutes later, Amiri's diagonal cross found Undav running from deep — and the Stuttgart forward volleyed cleanly past Yahia Fofana to level at 1-1. Then, deep into stoppage time, Undav received a through-ball from Felix Nmecha and turned on the edge of the box[1]World Cup 2026: Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast - Deniz Undav scores 94th-minute winner in Group E clash“Deniz Undav's 94th-minute goal clinched a come-from-behind 2-1 victory for Germany against Ivory Coast; he scored the equaliser in the 68th minute from an Amiri cross and the winner from a Nmecha pass.” before blasting a winner in the 94th minute.
The 2-1 win at Toronto Stadium[12]Germany v Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 | Result, Stats & Highlights | FIFA World Cup 2026“Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast, Full Time, Toronto Stadium, 2026-06-20T16:00:00Z” clinched Germany's place in the Round of 32. It also extended Germany's all-time record of World Cup comeback victories[2]FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Room's all-time record 15; Undav equals Milla 5; Japan's 4 creates history“Undav has five goal contributions as a substitute (three goals, two assists in two games) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He tied Cameroon's Roger Milla (5 in 1990) for the most goal contributions off the bench at a single FIFA World Cup.”, and gave the team their most productive substitute output of any nation in the tournament, with six substitute goal contributions overall[10]FIFA World Cup 2026: Deniz Undav stars as Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to reach knockout stage“Germany substitutes have been involved in six goal contributions at the 2026 World Cup - the most of any nation.”.
Why should I ruin his flow? He came in twice and scored twice.
Julian Nagelsmann, Germany head coach
What does Undav's record actually mean?
Undav now has five goal contributions as a substitute at the 2026 World Cup — three goals and two assists across just 56 minutes of play[3]Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast Stats: Deniz Undav Reprises Super-Sub Role in Dramatic Victory“Deniz Undav has been directly involved in five goals as a substitute at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (3 goals, 2 assists) – the joint most at a single edition of the competition since 1966 (alongside Roger Milla in 1990).”, tying Cameroon's Roger Milla, who set the benchmark with four goals and an assist at Italia 90. No other player in World Cup history has matched five substitute contributions at a single tournament since records began in 1966, per Opta.
The comparison with Milla is instructive and slightly ironic. Milla was 38 years old in 1990 — his substitute appearances were a concession to sentiment as much as strategy. Undav is 29, at the peak of his physical output, and carries an international ratio of nine goals in 11 appearances for the Mannschaft[4]Deniz Undav is Germany's super sub again in comeback win vs. Ivory Coast“His tally is now nine goals in 11 caps for the Mannschaft, an incredible ratio for the Stuttgart forward.”. He is not an indulgence.
Deniz Undav at World Cup 2026 (as substitute only)
- 56 minutes total playing time across two appearances
- 3 goals scored
- 2 assists provided
- 5 goal contributions — matches Roger Milla's 1990 all-time substitute record (Opta)
- 9 goals in his last 11 Germany appearances overall
Should Nagelsmann finally start Undav?
This is the central analytical question, and it is not a simple one. Nagelsmann chose Kai Havertz at centre-forward against both Curaçao and Ivory Coast. The logic is defensible: Havertz offers greater hold-up play, set-piece presence, and pressing intensity. "Why should I ruin his flow?" Nagelsmann said after the Ivory Coast win. "He came in twice and scored twice."[11]From factory to World Cup: Germany's super-sub Deniz Undav“'Why should I ruin his flow?' Nagelsmann said after the win over Ivory Coast. 'He came in twice and scored twice.'”
But the counterargument is stark. In both group games, the starting forward line failed to breach the opposition before Undav's introduction. Against Ivory Coast, Germany's expected goals stood at 1.83 to Ivory Coast's 1.23[5]Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (Jun 20, 2026) Final Score“Germany ended the match with the higher expected goals, with it being 1.83-1.23 in their favour.” — a figure that tells only part of the story; the nature of Germany's chances was scrappy and often manufactured from dead-ball situations rather than open play.
Undav, by contrast, arrives on the pitch fresh and unpredictable, against tiring legs and adjusted defensive shapes. He became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score both a game-tying goal and a game-winning goal as a substitute in a single match[2]FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Room's all-time record 15; Undav equals Milla 5; Japan's 4 creates history“Undav has five goal contributions as a substitute (three goals, two assists in two games) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He tied Cameroon's Roger Milla (5 in 1990) for the most goal contributions off the bench at a single FIFA World Cup.”. The question is whether that template is sustainable into knockout football, where a single mistake eliminates you.
What did the rest of Matchday 10 signal about this tournament?
Saturday's other results were collectively the most statistically striking of the 2026 World Cup so far. While Germany scraped through, the Netherlands made a statement of a different order entirely.
Ronald Koeman's side thrashed Sweden 5-1 in Houston[6]World Cup 2026: Netherlands 5-1 Sweden - Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey score doubles for Dutch in Group F win“His double took him to five World Cup group-stage goals for Netherlands, drawing level with Robin van Persie as the country's most prolific scorer in the competition's group phase.” — their biggest World Cup win. Brian Brobbey scored twice in the first 17 minutes before Cody Gakpo added two goals in the opening minutes of the second half, taking him to five World Cup group-stage goals and equalling Robin van Persie's Netherlands group-stage record[6]World Cup 2026: Netherlands 5-1 Sweden - Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey score doubles for Dutch in Group F win“His double took him to five World Cup group-stage goals for Netherlands, drawing level with Robin van Persie as the country's most prolific scorer in the competition's group phase.”. The win extended the Netherlands' unbeaten World Cup run to 13 games since losing the 2010 final to Spain[7]FIFA World Cup 2026: Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo score brace as Netherlands hammer Sweden 5-1“The Netherlands now have a 13-game unbeaten streak in the World Cup since losing the 2010 Final vs Spain, as their 2014 and 2022 tournaments ended by way of penalty shoot-outs.” — their 2014 and 2022 tournaments having ended in penalty shoot-outs.
In Mexico, Japan's 4-0 demolition of Tunisia — played on the occasion of the 1,000th match in World Cup history — marked the first time an Asian nation had scored four goals in a single World Cup game[8]Ueda's brace helps Japan knock Tunisia out of World Cup 2026“Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday, to close in on a place in the last 32.”. Daichi Kamada's fourth-minute opener was Japan's fastest-ever World Cup goal; Ayase Ueda added a brace to leave Tunisia eliminated.
In Kansas City, Ecuador's implosion against Curaçao produced arguably the individual goalkeeping performance of the tournament. Eloy Room made 15 saves — the most by any goalkeeper keeping a clean sheet in World Cup regulation time — to earn Curaçao a 0-0 draw[9]Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao: Room's 15 saves earn Advocaat's side historic point“Ecuador's 15 shots on goal against Curaçao was the most in a FIFA World Cup match without scoring since 1966.”. Ecuador's 15 shots on goal was the most in a World Cup match without scoring since 1966[9]Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao: Room's 15 saves earn Advocaat's side historic point“Ecuador's 15 shots on goal against Curaçao was the most in a FIFA World Cup match without scoring since 1966.”. They now need to beat Germany on Matchday 3 to survive.
What does this signal for Germany's chances of going deep?
Germany have solved their 2018 and 2022 problem — early elimination — at least in the short term. Their substitutes have been involved in six goal contributions at the 2026 World Cup, the most of any nation[10]FIFA World Cup 2026: Deniz Undav stars as Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to reach knockout stage“Germany substitutes have been involved in six goal contributions at the 2026 World Cup - the most of any nation.”.
But structural fragility remains. Both of Germany's group wins required late drama and a triple substitution to unlock a lead. Against the Netherlands — potentially a quarterfinal opponent if both sides progress — being a goal down at halftime would be a far more perilous place. Nagelsmann must now answer a question Undav's brilliance cannot defer indefinitely: is this a squad that wins despite the bench paradox, or because of it?
The Roger Milla comparison offers one sobering clue. Cameroon's 1990 run ended in the quarterfinals, beaten by England in extra time, when the underdogs finally ran out of magic. Germany, with deeper resources and greater tactical flexibility, have more runway. But a team that consistently concedes first and relies on 30 minutes of Undav at his best is building on a foundation that, in the knockout rounds, has no margin for error.
The Stuttgart forward turns 30 on July 19 — the day of the World Cup final. Whether Nagelsmann is prepared to start him before then may determine whether Germany get to say goodbye to him on that occasion, or celebrate it.