FIFA World Cup: Germany beat Ivory Coast, seal knockout berth
What's the story
Julian Nagelsmann's Germany have secured a spot in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. The match, held at Toronto Stadium, saw substitute Deniz Undav score both goals for Germany, including a stunning winner in the 94th minute. Despite being down at halftime due to Franck Kessie's goal for Ivory Coast, Germany made a strong comeback with Undav's double strike.
Match details
Undav's heroics secure Germany's place in knockout stage
Undav, who came on as a substitute in the 60th minute, turned the game around for Germany. He scored his first goal in the 68th minute with a volley off Nadiem Amiri's cross. His second goal came from Felix Nmecha's pass, sealing Germany's place in the knockout stage with one match still to go. This win puts them alongside USA and Mexico in advancing beyond Group E.
Match analysis
Ivory Coast put up fight but fall short
Despite their loss to Germany, Ivory Coast had a strong first-half performance. Liverpool target Yan Diomande was instrumental in setting up Kessie's goal with his pace and low cross. However, the defeat leaves them with work to do if they hope to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.
Records
Key feats attained by Undav
As per Squawka, Undav is the first player to score multiple goals and provide multiple assists at the 2026 World Cup (G3 A2). As per Opta, Undav equalled Cameron's Roger Milla (1990) for most goal involvements (5) as a substitute at a single World Cup tournament in the competition's history. Undav is now the first German player since Miroslav Klose in 2002 to have scored in each of his first two World Cup matches.
Information
Neuer breaks this record
Manuel Neuer made his 21st appearance at the FIFA World Cup in the clash against Ivory Coast and is now the goalkeeper with the most World Cup appearances, overtaking France's Hugo Lloris (20).
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Here are the match stats
From 16 attempts, Germany had 7 shots on target. Ivory Coast had 2 shots on target from 9 attempts. Germany had 32 touches in the opposition box compared to Ivory Coast's 21.