Germany booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 in dramatic fashion as super substitute Deniz Undav came off the bench to score twice, including a stoppage-time winner, to inspire a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Ivory Coast at Toronto Stadium on Sunday.
The four-time world champions looked set for a shock exit after Franck Kessie's first-half strike put the Elephants on course for the knockout rounds. However, Undav turned the contest on its head with a close-range header before coolly slotting home the decisive goal in the 94th minute to keep Germany's World Cup hopes alive.
Germany nearly made the perfect start inside the opening minute. Kai Havertz rose highest from the kick-off to meet a header before volleying narrowly over the crossbar. The forward was soon involved again, forcing Yahia Fofana into an excellent save after meeting Joshua Kimmich's pinpoint delivery with a powerful header.
The Germans thought they had broken the deadlock midway through the first half when Aleksandar Pavlovic headed home from a corner, only for the goal to be ruled out after the Bayern Munich midfielder was penalised for leading with his elbow.
Having weathered the early pressure, Ivory Coast stunned their illustrious opponents on the half-hour mark. Yan Diomande surged down the left flank before cutting the ball into the penalty area. Nathaniel Brown blocked Amad Diallo's initial effort, but the rebound fell kindly for Franck Kessie, who calmly slotted past the goalkeeper to give Emerse Fae's men a surprise lead.
Germany struggled to break down the disciplined Ivorian defence after the restart, prompting Nagelsmann to make decisive changes just after the hour mark by introducing Nadiem Amiri and Deniz Undav.
The substitutions paid immediate dividends. In the 68th minute, Amiri delivered a perfectly weighted cross into the box, where Undav timed his run brilliantly to head past Fofana and restore parity.
Ivory Coast almost regained the lead moments later through their own substitutes. Nicolas Pépé burst down the right wing and found Simon Adingra unmarked inside the box after Evann Guessand's clever movement created space. However, Adingra's heavy first touch allowed the German defence to recover and snuff out the danger.
That missed opportunity proved costly.
As stoppage time ticked away, Lukas Nmecha threaded a superb through ball into Undav's path. The Stuttgart striker showed remarkable composure, turning sharply before drilling his finish beyond Fofana in the 94th minute to spark wild celebrations among the German players and supporters.
The dramatic winner completed a memorable comeback and secured Germany's passage into the Round of 32. While Nagelsmann's side must wait for the outcome of Curaçao versus Ecuador to determine whether they finish top of the group, they are already guaranteed progression at the very least as one of the tournament's eight best third-placed teams.
For Ivory Coast, the heartbreaking defeat marked a cruel end to a brave and disciplined performance, with Fae's side falling just moments away from a famous qualification. Meanwhile, Germany march into the knockout rounds, once again proving the value of an impact substitute, as Undav's late heroics kept their World Cup dream alive.
