Germany secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since their 2014 triumph. The thrilling win was sealed deep into injury time, igniting celebrations among the predominantly German-supporting crowd of 43,000 in Toronto.
The decisive hero of the match was substitute Deniz Undav, who netted both goals for Germany after the team had fallen behind. His second goal, scored four minutes into stoppage time, turned the tide and ensured their progression beyond the group phase, a feat that had eluded them in recent tournaments.
Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, had been under intense pressure to guide the team past the group stage, having failed to do so since their victorious campaign in Brazil nearly a decade ago.
Ivory Coast had taken the lead in the 30th minute through Franck Kessie. The Ivorian midfielder capitalized on a well-crafted attack initiated by the highly rated teenage forward Yan Diomande, who has attracted interest from leading European clubs such as Liverpool. Kessie’s close-range finish gave Ivory Coast an early advantage and put Germany on the back foot.
Challenging First Half and German Comeback
Germany came close to scoring twice in the first half, only to be denied by referee decisions. In the 21st minute, a corner from Nathaniel Brown was headed into the net by Aleksandar Pavlovic, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul on Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Later, in the 38th minute, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz appeared to have scored, but the effort was ruled out for a foul committed by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
As the second half unfolded, Germany intensified their assault, continuously pressuring the resilient Ivorian defense. Despite their efforts, it took until the 68th minute for Germany to find an equalizer and eventually overturn the deficit in stoppage time, thanks to Undav’s decisive contributions.