Germany defeated the Ivory Coast 2-1 in a dramatic Group E clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Super-sub Deniz Undav was the hero of the match, coming off the bench in the second half to score a stunning brace, including a 94th-minute stoppage-time winner. The comeback victory officially confirms Germany's ticket to the Round of 32, breaking a group-stage exit curse that had affected them in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Facing the threat of another historical group-stage disaster, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann completely altered the game dynamics with a triple substitution on the hour mark. Deniz Undav made an impact immediately. After hammering a sweet volley from fellow sub Nadiem Amiri to level the score, the match broke into a chaotic, end-to-end spectacle. Ivory Coast missed a golden late opportunity to reclaim the lead when Simon Adingra failed to pull the trigger in the box. Deep into injury time, Undav displayed prime killer instincts, collecting a pass from Felix Nmecha to secure the dramatic victory.

With his late equaliser and stoppage-time winner, Undav became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score both tying and winning goals as a substitute in the same match.

Fans erupt on X as Deniz Undav delivers heroic performance for Germany

Netizens are hailing Deniz Undav as the ultimate "super sub" after his two-goal performance led Germany to a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over the Ivory Coast. Fans celebrated his clinical finishing and clutch factor, with many drawing comparisons to legendary German tournament heroes. Netizens flooded X with praise for his incredible conversion rate, noting he has nine goals in just his last few appearances. Some fans even voiced their concern about Undav being benched in games and Kai Havertz getting a chance.

Let us have a look at some of these tweets by Fans:

Deniz Undav currently leads the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race with 3 goals, tied alongside Lionel Messi and Jonathan David.