Deniz Undav makes World Cup history with goals in first two matches for Germany

Deniz Undav has become the first German in 24 years to score in both of his first two World Cup appearances, matching a feat last achieved by Miroslav Klose in 2002. Germany began the 2026 World Cup campaign on 14 June against Curaçao, winning 7-1. Deniz Undav scored in Germany’s sixth goal and also contributed two assists. Six days later, on 20 June, Germany played Ivory Coast. Germany went behind 1-0, but Deniz Undav came on as a substitute and scored twice to complete a 2-1 comeback. He was named Man of the Match. The article notes that Klose holds Germany’s record with 16 World Cup goals across four tournaments. Klose burst onto the competition in 2002 with a hat-trick of headers against Saudi Arabia in the opening match, then scored again in the next game. Deniz Undav has now recorded 7 international goals in 10 appearances for Germany. Germany’s knockout-stage qualification in 2026 is their first since reaching that phase after winning in Brazil twelve years ago. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2018 and 2022. Beyond the numbers, the piece highlights that Deniz Undav did not follow a traditional German academy route, instead playing in lower divisions and in Belgium before establishing himself at Stuttgart.