Germany overcame an early setback to defeat Ivory Coast 2–1 in their Group E encounter at Toronto Stadium on Sunday, making it two wins from two matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Deniz Undav came off the bench to make a massive impact for the Mannschaft as the 29-year-old netted both of Germany’s goals to overturn Franck Kessie’s opener for Ivory Coast.
Undav became the first German player since the legendary Miroslav Klose in 2002 to have scored in each of his first two World Cup matches with his brace against Ivory Coast.
The African side struck first through Franck Kessie, who capitalised on a loose ball in the first half to hand Côte d’Ivoire the advantage. Germany, however, were left frustrated before the interval as efforts from Kai Havertz
and Aleksandar Pavlovic were both disallowed due to infringements in the build-up.
With his side trailing, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann once again turned to Denis Undav after the break. The forward had already made an impact as a substitute in Germany’s opening 7–1 victory over Curaçao, and he proved decisive once more.
Introduced around the hour mark, Undav restored parity in the 68th minute and continued to trouble the Ivorian defence throughout the closing stages. His persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when he struck the winner, completing a dramatic comeback and securing all three points for Die Mannschaft.
The result extended Germany’s winning start to the tournament and strengthened their position in Group E.
Earlier, the Netherlands recorded their first victory of the competition with an emphatic 5–1 win over Sweden in Group F at Houston Stadium.
Brian Brobbey, the only alteration to Ronald Koeman’s starting lineup following the draw against Japan, justified his selection with two goals inside the opening 17 minutes, putting Oranje firmly in control from the outset. Sweden briefly thought they had a route back into the contest when Carl Starfelt Lagerbielke found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The Dutch tightened their grip after halftime as Cody Gakpo scored twice in quick succession to stretch the lead to 4–0. Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden before the hour mark, but despite creating further opportunities, the Scandinavians could not build on their momentum. Yasin Ayari struck the wrong side of the post, while Alexander Isak was denied by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
After absorbing Sweden’s pressure, the Netherlands added a fifth through Crysencio Summerville, who also scored in the opening draw against Japan. The convincing victory earned Oranje their first three points of the tournament and improved their standing in Group F after beginning their campaign with a draw.
