Deniz Undav came off the bench to score both German goals in a 2-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire in Toronto on 20 June, his 94th-minute strike carrying Germany into the knockout rounds for the first time since their 2014 title. Franck Kessié, the Ivorians' captain, had given his side the lead before Undav equalised on 68 minutes and won it in stoppage time. 1 Côte d'Ivoire, the West African nation also known as Ivory Coast, are eliminated. Germany follow Mexico into the last 32 as the second side to qualify.
Germany went out in the group stage in 2018 and lost in the round of 16 in 2022, the last-16 being the first knockout round of the 32 survivors. Twelve years without reaching the latter stages was the worst drought in their modern history, and a third early exit would have shadowed the squad into a home European Championship cycle. The stoppage-time winner closes that chapter.
Undav now has three goals and two assists at the tournament, every one as a substitute, equalling Roger Milla's 1990 mark of five goal involvements from the bench in one finals; Milla was the Cameroon striker whose late cameos defined that summer. A coach who can settle a qualification decider with a 25-minute appearance holds something most managers here do not: a match-winner he can keep in reserve and send on against tiring legs.
