Germany have kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 pursuits with a thrilling 7-1 win against Curaçao.
While the game was incredibly enjoyable and featured excellent performances from the likes of Nathaniel Brown and Felix Nmecha, one other major talking point was Deniz Undav. The striker did not feature in the starting lineup, as Nagelsmann chose Kai Havertz instead.
This decision has raised a lot of eyebrows and with good reason — Undav was the German top-scorer. 19 goals in the Bundesliga for VfB
Stuttgart, three in the Europa League and three in the DFB-Pokal, adding to a total of 25 goals.
The striker only received his German call up two years ago and since then has not disappointed. In his 10 games for Germany wherein he’s started only thrice, he has scored seven goals and four assists, per @iMiaSanMia. In fact, Undav has scored seven goals in his last seven games, per @iMiaSanMia.
Such performances and consistency warrant a position in the starting XI. Undav has more than proved his mettle. Will it be enough for Nagelsmann to start him?
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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