On Saturday, Germany secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Côte d’Ivoire, punching their ticket to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2014.
Substitute Deniz Undav was the hero with a brace, netting the decisive goal four minutes into stoppage time—a strike that sparked euphoric roars from the 43,000-strong Toronto crowd, which was overwhelmingly backing the Germans. Julian Nagelsmann’s side had failed to progress past the group phase in the two subsequent tournaments, leaving the coach under mounting pressure to finally end that drought.
Côte d’Ivoire drew first blood in the 30th minute through Franck Kessie, who tapped in from close range after teenage sensation Yan Diomande—a player attracting serious interest from European heavyweights like Liverpool—did the heavy lifting.
Germany thought they had leveled twice before halftime. In the 21st minute, Aleksandar Pavlovic redirected Nathaniel Brown’s corner into the net, but Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benitez immediately ruled it out, penalizing Pavlovic for a foul on Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Then, in the 38th minute, Arsenal star Kai Havertz found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed due to an infringement by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
The Germans came out firing after the break, laying siege to the Ivorian defense. Although that backline held firm until the 68th minute, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 63rd minute when Undav volleyed home a cross from Nadiem Amiri. His second strike sent Nagelsmann and the German supporters into a frenzy, ending their recent string of World Cup heartbreaks.
“Winning mentality, team spirit—we had exactly what you need to be successful in a tournament,” Germany defender Jonathan Tah told MagentaTV. “We never gave up, we kept going no matter what. The guys coming off the bench brought energy. Deniz deserves a special mention, outstanding!”
While the Ivorians have never advanced past the group stage in World Cup history, they can still keep their hopes alive by defeating debutants Curacao in their final group fixture.