Germany came from behind to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match on Saturday, with substitute Deniz Undav scoring twice in the second half to send Julian Nagelsmann's side into the knockout round for the first time since they won the tournament in 2014.
The match, played in Toronto, was a wild affair from the start. Germany had two goals disallowed in the first half and controlled much of the play, but had nothing to show for eight attempts on goal by the interval. Ivory Coast took the lead when Franck Kessie slotted home a rebound off a shot by Amad Diallo, on a play created when Yan Diomande charged down the left side and sent in a cross.
Germany looked to have opened the scoring when midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic rose to meet a short corner in the 25th minute but was deemed to have fouled goalkeeper Yahia Fofana in the process. Shortly after, a second German goal was also ruled out, as the referee determined that Jamal Musiala had fouled Odilon Kossounou in the buildup.
Despite the frustration, Germany did not lose focus. Undav, coming off the bench, levelled the score with a controlled, volleyed finish in the 68th minute. He then struck again when he received a pass on the turn, swiveling and firing home a ball that Fofana had no chance at stopping. The goal came in injury time and gave Germany the win.
Undav now has nine goals in his last eight matches, according to Al Jazeera.
Toronto, which has more than 100,000 residents of German ancestry, provided heavy support for Nagelsmann's side throughout the match. Ivory Coast had their chances late, with Simon Adingra failing to get a shot off in the area before Germany charged back down the field and Fofana blocked a low shot from Nathaniel Brown.
The West Africans had scored in their last seven matches at the World Cup, the longest such sequence in their history. They remain on three points after two matches and still have a path to the knockout stage.
Germany top Group E with six points and are through to the round of 32. They will close out the group stage against Ecuador on Thursday in New Jersey. Ivory Coast face Curacao in their final group match.
