Germany’s Deniz Undav shines as super-sub ahead of World Cup knockout rounds

Most strikers would kill for a 90-minute masterclass at the World Cup. Deniz Undav has been doing it in roughly half that time, and mostly from the bench.

The 29-year-old VfB Stuttgart forward has emerged as Germany’s most dangerous weapon at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, racking up five goal involvements, three goals and two assists, in just 56 minutes of play as a substitute. That’s roughly one goal contribution every 11 minutes.

A substitute rewriting the script

On June 14, he entered Germany’s match against Curaçao and scored one goal and provided two assists in a 7-1 demolition. Six days later, against the Ivory Coast in a far tighter contest, Undav came on and scored twice in a 2-1 victory, including a last-minute winner that secured Germany’s qualification for the Round of 32.

His five goal involvements from the bench set the record for substitute contributions at the tournament. He currently sits at the top of the Golden Boot race, ahead of names like Lionel Messi and Jonathan David.

Undav has scored 9 goals in 11 caps for Germany heading into the knockout stages.

From club consistency to international stardom

Undav’s rise mirrors VfB Stuttgart’s own resurgence. The club qualified for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, with Undav contributing 25 goal involvements across all competitions during the season. He tallied 19 Bundesliga goals and 6 assists in the 2025/26 club season.

That club form is what initially put him on Julian Nagelsmann’s radar. The Germany coach praised Undav’s performances after a May 31 friendly, noting that his goal contributions had essentially cemented his place in the squad.

Nagelsmann has publicly acknowledged that he’s considering starting Undav more frequently as Germany moves deeper into the tournament.

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