And then, suddenly, Deniz Undav had disappeared into a sea of Germany shirts. The striker was lost in the cheering crowd of his teammates celebrating after the Stuttgart forward scored the winning goal in injury time for Germany against Ivory Coast in Toronto.
At first, it seemed as if Undav himself did not understand what he had just achieved.
“How do I do it? Don’t know. I’m in the perfect place,” the 29-year-old said afterward, flashing his familiar smile. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who showed an ability to make the right substitution at the right time, was full of praise for his supersub.
Nagelsmann later said, “Deniz has incredible striker instincts. As soon as space opens up, he’s super smart.”
With nine goals in his last eight international matches and three goals and two assists in this World Cup, Undaw is not only his team’s in-form player but is also the current top scorer of the 2026 World Cup.
Amiri: ‘Denis is lethal in front of goal’
“I’m on cloud nine. I had to laugh again, even in Toronto people are chanting my name, not just in Stuttgart,” Undav later said emotionally. “I’m enjoying it; I’m taking it all in.”
It took just under an hour for Germany fans to chant “Deniz Undav” and demand the fan favorite be removed from the bench. Nagelsmann responded soon after and it proved to be a game-changing decision.
“Deniz is absolutely lethal in front of goal,” said Nadim Amiri, who himself made an impact off the bench by assisting Undaw for his first goal.
For Lothar Matthäus, Germany’s most capped player, Undau reminded him of Gerd Müller, the iconic Germany striker of the 1970s. “In this respect, we have a new ‘Germany goal-scoring sensation’,” Matthaus said.
The advance towards Belgium is the turning point
While Undav is currently living the dream, his journey to World Cup hero has been long and far from ordinary.
After all, he had only turned professional eight years earlier. In 2018, Undav signed his first professional contract with SV Meppen in Germany’s third division. But it was not until the 2021/22 season, when he moved to Union Saint-Gillois in the Belgian second division, that his career took off.
“My second season in Belgium was the turning point,” Undav said. “Up until then, I hadn’t really behaved like a professional; that’s when things became really professional.”
From Belgium, he moved to the Premier League club to join Brighton & Hove Albion. His time in England helped Undaw solidify his path as a professional.
Undav said, “I realized what matters in football: you have to work for the team, even make runs that sometimes seem unnecessary. It took me three or four months to realize that.” “I suddenly became more effective and valuable to the team.”
Undav: ‘I am proud of my journey’
His dedication, attitude and style of play still define him today. Following his time in England, Bundesliga side Stuttgart signed Undaw in 2023, and it did not take long for him to become a key player at the club.
“I’m proud of my journey. I feel like I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles,” Undav told DW two years ago. “That’s what made me the man I am. Now I’m confident in what I say, but I’ve also never lost my sense of fun.”
Two years after making his Germany debut in 2024, Undaw now plays a key role in developing the team’s motivation. Be it club or country, the striker always puts the team first.
Defender Antonio Rudiger explained, “What makes Deniz special? He doesn’t think too much about things. He comes, does his job and goes.”
The purpose is to make the father proud
Football is important to Undav, but his family always comes first. His parents are from Viransehir, a city in the south-east of Türkiye. His father is a great role model, who ensured that Undav never wanted for anything during his childhood.
“He worked two or three jobs so that we children had everything. If we wanted something, he did everything, even overtime, to get it,” Undaw told the German Football Association (DFB) in an interview.
“I do everything I can to make my father proud. He came here.” [to Germany] From nothing and made a life for myself. I take my hat off to him. “I don’t think I could have done it,” Undav said.
He said, “Who knows, if I had stayed in the youth academy the whole time, maybe I would have eventually lost interest in football. But this way, I still enjoy it and try to cherish every moment.”
Does Undav want to start?
Undav played only six minutes at the Euros two years ago. At the World Cup, he is fast becoming a key player.
For now, he is Germany’s supersub but head coach Nagelsmann will have to decide whether to keep Undaw off the bench as an impact player or play him in the starting eleven.
“We will discuss both options, including Deniz,” Nagelsmann said. “At heart, I think he’s quite happy with the role.”
Undaw was named man of the match after the win against Ivory Coast. “This is for my wife,” Undav said with a mischievous smile. And then, he was gone, disappearing into the stadium’s catacombs.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko