Deniz Undav forces Germany selection debate after World Cup rescue act

Deniz Undav scored twice off the bench as Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and reach the World Cup knockout stages. His latest intervention leaves Julian Nagelsmann with a genuine decision over whether the Stuttgart striker should remain a substitute or start against Ecuador.

Undav now has three goals and two assists from two substitute appearances at the tournament, matching a long-standing benchmark for World Cup impact players since 1966. For Germany, who had not reached the knockout phase since winning the competition in 2014, his timing has been as valuable as the numbers themselves.

The debate is sharpened by recent history. Earlier this year, Undav’s public ambition to push for a starting place drew a pointed response from Nagelsmann, who later apologised. Since then, the forward has built his case on performances, taking his international record to nine goals in 11 matches.

His rise also adds a human edge to the selection question. Rejected by Werder Bremen as a teenager and later balancing fourth-tier football with factory work, Undav’s route to this stage has been anything but direct. After spells with Union Saint-Gilloise, Brighton and Stuttgart, his Bundesliga form helped carry him into Germany’s squad — and now perhaps closer to the starting XI.