Germany striker Undav ready to crown unusual career with World Cup debut
Four years ago he was plying his trade in the Belgian second division and World Cup participation looked a distant prospect.
North Carolina: Germany forward Deniz Undav's imminent World Cup debut on Sunday was not even a distant dream four years ago but the 29-year-old is now ready to crown his unusual career with a presence on the biggest soccer stage of all.
Undav, who looked to have dropped out of contention for a Germany spot when he was not called up for matches in 2025, is now the team's most in-form striker and looks set for a starting spot in the Group E opener against Curacao on Sunday. The Germans also play Ivory Coast and Ecuador in the group.
Four years ago he was plying his trade in the Belgian second division and World Cup participation looked a distant prospect.
"When I think about where I was just four years ago I could not have imagined I would be here," Undav told a press conference on Friday. "Now it comes very quickly and in two days we have the first game and we want a win and have success with the national team."
Undav, a versatile striker, enjoyed a superb Bundesliga season with VfB Stuttgart to earn back his Germany spot, scoring 19 times in the league to finish second in the scorers' list behind England's Harry Kane. The forward had joined Stuttgart in 2023, initially on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Starting spot
As recently as March, however, his place in the Germany team looked to be in doubt. After scoring a last-gasp winner as a substitute against Ghana, instead of earning praise from Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, he was given almost no option of a starting spot in the future when his coach suggested the striker would not have scored had he played from the start.
Nagelsmann apologised and Undav kept up his scoring form with two more goals in a 4-0 win against Finland in May.
"Scoring goals is my job, whether from the bench or not," Undav said. "If I play from the start or not, I have to give it 100% and score goals. That is the only thing. The rest you cannot influence. "
His goals will be needed as Germany eye an opening victory over the World Cup newcomers to set a marker following two first-round exits in the last two World Cups.
"It would be very important (to start with a win) after the last two failed starts (in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups). We want to win," Undav said.
"If you start with a win in the first match then you put down a marker for the team and that's very important for us and the fans."