Germany vs Ivory Coast FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score: Germany were trailing 0-1 at half-time, but won 2-1 thanks to Deniz Undav's brace. (Photo: AP)FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Today highlights: Deniz Undav scored two goals after coming on as a substitute to hand Germany a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast and securing a Round of 32 spot at the ongoing FIFA Wordl Cup 2026 for the four-time champions with a game to spare. Undav’s goals flipped the script after the Ivory Coast were leading 1-0 at half-time in a game between the two previously unbeaten teams from Group E at the Toronto Stadium. Team captain Franck Kessie had scored for Ivory Coast in a game that saw two Germany goals get disallowed for fouls on the Ivory Coast players.
Undav has now scored nine goals for Germany in 11 international appearances. At the ongoing World Cup itself, he has racked up three goals from two substitute appearances, not to mention two assists.
In their opening game, Germany had pumped six goals past a hapless Curacao after both sides were deadlocked 1-1 at one stage, to triumph by a 7-1 margin. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, snuck in a late goal past Ecuador to secure victory.
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What an impact Deniz Undav has had since coming on in the 60th minute as a substitute! He scores both of Germany's goals to help the four-time champions claw back from a 0-1 deficit to win 2-1!
Deniz Undav scores his, and Germany's, second goal of the night as the four-time champions go from being 0-1 down to leading 2-1.
After coming in as a sub in the 60th minute, Undav has changed the complexion of the game.
He received the ball with his right foot, turned around and smashed it in with his left foot! What a finish! No chance for Fofana!
Germany lead 2-1
As the game ambles on towards the full-time whistle, the Germans come knocking on the Ivory Coast box. Twice in the span of three minutes, Fofana has to prevent the ball from creeping into his goal! One time he blocks Brown's shot and then palms away a shot from Amiri!
Six minutes added!
WHAT A CHANCE GONE BEGGING! Nicholas Pepe, the former Arsenal man, comes haring down the pitch, carrying the ball for about 40 metres on the right flank just minutes after coming on as a substitute. And he has two teammates to find with a cross. he opts to find the farthest one, but the teammate's first touch lets him down and Germans scramble the ball away!
We're still deadlocked at 1-1. In case you missed the game, and are just checking in for the scores, Germany have had two goals disallowed for fouls on the Ivory Coast players in the build up.
Ivory Coast took the lead in the 30th minute via a Franck Kessie goal. Germany eventually levelled in the 68th minute with substitute Deniz Undav scoring for them.
The substitutes for Germany do the trick! Deniz Undav, who replaced Jamal Musiala, eight minutes back, puts the ball into the back of the net!
The ball was sent into the box with a quarter-back like cross from another sub Amiri. Undav taps the ball in first time on the volley!
Smooth!
After 68 minutes, Germany 1-1 Ivory Coast!
German fans getting increasingly agitated in the stands as their team shoots blanks on the pitch. Havertz has a chance to nod the ball into the goal, but sends it wide!
After 64 minutes, Germany 0-1 Ivory Coast!
So Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann makes three substitutions at the 60th minute mark!
Deniz Undav replaces Jamal Musiala
Nadiem Amiri replaces Aleksandar Pavlovic
Jamie Leweling replaces Leroy Sane
Another shot on goal from Ivory Coast, this time from an attack that comes from the right flank as Diallo runs into the box and crosses dangerously! The ball is scooped over the goal by Oulai!
The Ivory Coast have started the second half with a spring in their step and the Germans are struggling!
After 52 mins, Germany 0-1 Ivory Coast
After they scored seven goals against Curacao, plenty was expected off of Germany today. But so far, they have managed just two goals that were later disallowed due to fouls.
The Ivory Coast meanwhile are leading thanks to captain Franck Bessie's strike on the 30th minute.
A very important half coming up.
Once again, Germany have the ball into the net, but the ref whistles for a foul by a German player, which means the goal should not stand.
Germany's Musiala brought down Kossounou on the edge of the box. The play should have been stopped right away, but the ref allowed it to continue and only blew the whistle for a foul after Kai Havertz had scored!
After 40 minutes, Germany 0-1 Ivory Coast
Another counterattack from Ivory Coast has Germany fretting. The ball comes to Bonny, who tries to curl the ball. But can only give catching practise to Manuel Neuer.
A close shave for Germany.
Ivory Coast are leading 1-0 in the 30th minute as Franck Kessie scrambles the ball into the goal after another attack from the left flank with Diomande at the heart of it. 16th goal for Ivory Coast by Franck Kessie.
Diomande runs down the left before delivering a sharp cross into the six-yard box. Diallo gets the ball, but his shot is blocked by Brown. The rebound falls kindly for Kessie, who shoots and scores.
After 30 minutes, Germany 0-1 Ivory Coast
As we head into the first hydration break of the day, loud boos ring out in the stadium. It's not just because the primary fan base in attendance today is Germans angry about the disallowed goal.
The fans are also unhappy about a hydration break when the temperatures in Toronto are a nice 22 degrees Celcius.
Germany start to raise the temperature on their opponents. And after a sustained phase of attacking from the Germans, they earn a corner thanks to a shot from Nmecha, which takes a deflection from a defender's foot.
In the resulting corner, which is sent to the far post, Pavlovic rises for the ball as does Ivory Coast goalkeeper Fofana. There is some contact between the players, and Fofana collapses like a house of cards when the fan is switched on. The referee rules it out as a foul on the keeper. The Germans are protesting the decision as a soft foul, but nothing doing.
After 21 minutes, Germany 0-0 Ivory Coast
So far, the Ivory Coast side have launched three attacks on the German fortress. All three have come from the left wing, where Diomande us holding fort. And after creating two chances for his teammates, for a rare time, his touch betrays him and the ball runs out of bounds.
After 15 minutes, Germany 0-0 Ivory Coast
It takes just four minutes for Ivory Coast to go on the attack themselves and remind the Germans that there are two teams in this game! The attack comes from the left flank, where Diomande goes on a haring run and manages to sneak in a cross which looks dangerous. The German defence just about manages to scramble it away!
After 5 minutes, Germany 0-0 Ivory Coast
... and Germany are already on the attack with Kai Havertz, who scored a brace in Germany's 7-1 rout of Curacao, shooting over the bar. That attack came 15 seconds into the game!
The national anthems are done, and in a heartbeat we will have kickoff from the Toronto Stadium! The two best teams in group E going head to head. Promises to be a mouthwatering clash!
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Germany Subs: Amiri, Anton, Baumann, Beier, Goretzka, Gross, Leweling, Nubel, Ouedraogo, Raum, Rüdiger, Stiller, Thiaw, Undav
Cote D’Ivoire (4-4-2): Y Fofana; Singo, Kossounou, Agbadou, Konan; Diallo, Kessie, Sangare, Yan Diomande; Bonny, Oulai
Cote D’Ivoire Subs: Adringra, Diakite, O Diomande, Doue, S Fofana, Guessand, Guiagon, Kone, Lafont, Ndicka, Operi, Pepe, Seri, Toure, Wahi
At the pre-match press conference, Germany's Joshua Kimmich spoke about the hunger of the current German team and where it came from.
"I thought we had an outstanding mix at the 2018 World Cup. We had plenty of World Cup winners, but hungry players, too. In the end, it didn’t help us much. This time you also have to remember that, apart from Manuel Neuer, our entire squad is made up of players who haven’t won anything yet with the national side," Kimmich said.
"They have that special hunger and that special drive to achieve something amazing. You can tell we have lots of players who really appreciate what it means to be here. We often talk about what we remember as kids, following the national team at the World Cup, and the experiences and emotions that came with that. Now the shoe’s on the other foot, and we’re playing at a World Cup. We don’t always pick up all that much about how people back home are seeing things, but you just know this is something really special. As a footballer, it doesn’t get better than this."
In Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Curacao, one standout player (among many) was midfielder Felix Nmecha. His teammate Joshua Kimmich believes will only get better with each day.
"Even before the tournament started, I said he was one of the most talented players we’ve got," said Kimmich of Nmecha. "He’s got a great physique, he’s really quick, really robust, and he has outstanding technical ability for someone his size.
"He’s also a player who can progress the ball, who can run with it and get you up the pitch. He brings a lot to the side. He can defend, too: he’s got the pace to reel in a good few players. He’s a very complete player, and he’s really important for us."
Ivory Coast's opener at the FIFA World Cup 2026 looked like it was heading for a draw with the full-time whistle close to being blown. Then, Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to give Ivory Coast a 1-0 victory in what is their first World Cup appearance in a dozen years. After being set up by Wilfried Singo, Diallo slotted his left-footed shot past a diving goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez.
“This was a fantastic goal,” coach Emerse Faé said. “(Singo) delivered a wonderful assist to Diallo, and he finished well. Very happy to see just what we worked on.”
Ecuador saw its 19-game unbeaten streak end with its first loss since a 1-0 decision against Brazil on Sept. 6, 2024.
Germany have followed a 3-4-3 formation at the FIFA World Cup. Seven teams used the formation that promotes a balance between defense and offense around a solid midfield, according to an analysis from The Associated Press, which adds: "Only two teams won — South Korea and Germany (which scored the most goals so far with a 7-1 rout of Curacao)."
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the game between Germany and Ivory Coast from the Toronto Stadium. A win today for either side will see them make the cut for the Round of 32.
Germany is going through a cultural transition with multiculturalism at its forefront. Out of the 26 in the squad, 12 have immigrant backgrounds. At the forefront is Jamal Musiala, born to a German mother and a British-Nigerian father. When a team largely composed of immigrants falls, the public misconceives it as a failure of the immigrants.
The fans have more sporting reasons to worry. They bemoan the absence of a leader. Another tongue flexing German term they have— Führungsspieler (fuhrung = lead, spieler = player), embodied by the legendary Franz Beckenbauer, passed onto Lothar Matthäus, Michael Ballack and Philipp Lahm. Joshua Kimmich is their inheritor, but he has not transformed into the powerful leader he was once touted to be. There was a time when he was labelled the next Toni Kroos, but he plateaued. A trustworthy passer and ball circulator, he is bereft of the command the aforementioned names exuded.
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