EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In a 2024 FIFA World Cup Group E storyline that has captured global soccer attention, 29-year-old German striker Deniz Undav boasts one of the most electrifying scoring rates in the tournament – yet he remains stuck on Die Mannschaft’s bench heading into the final group stage match against Ecuador.
Across just 69 minutes of World Cup game time, Undav has notched three goals and two assists, meaning he contributes to a goal roughly every 13.8 minutes. That astonishing rate outpaces some of the biggest names in world soccer: Lionel Messi (37.4 minutes per contribution), Kylian Mbappé (48.8) and Erling Haaland (51.2) all trail far behind the in-form German forward.
For many players, being benched despite such elite production would spark frustration and public pushback. But Undav says he has fully embraced his role as a super-sub for the tournament favorites.
“If I weren’t happy, if I wasn’t content, I wouldn’t be here,” Undav told reporters at a Wednesday press conference, a day ahead of the Ecuador matchup. “I accept the role.”
Germany enters the match already having secured top spot in Group E, marking a major turnaround after consecutive early group stage exits following the country’s 2014 World Cup title. Die Mannschaft will kick off their knockout round run next Monday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against the third-place finisher from another group, likely either Paraguay or Australia. A win against Ecuador would give Germany its 12th consecutive victory, tying a national team record set between 1979 and 1980.
For Ecuador, the stakes could not be higher. The South American side has just one point from its first two group matches, meaning only a full three points from a win over Germany will keep their knockout round hopes alive.
German head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed Wednesday he plans only mandatory lineup rotations for Thursday’s match, forced by two key defensive absences. Center back Nico Schlotterbeck will miss the remainder of the tournament after tearing a ligament in his left ankle during Saturday’s win over Ivory Coast, while left back Nathaniel Brown is sidelined with an adductor injury. Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger is expected to step in for Schlotterbeck, and Hoffenheim’s David Raum will take Brown’s place at left back.
“We want to prepare ourselves for the knockout phase,” Nagelsmann explained. “We all say that Deniz really would deserve to be in the starting lineup but we have an idea for the team, we talked about it with Deniz and other players, and tomorrow we will do the rotations that are necessary.”
Undav’s path to World Cup contention has been far from conventional. The striker cut his teeth in Germany’s lower divisions, playing for Havelse, Braunschweig and Meppen between 2017 and 2020, before moving to Belgian second-tier side Union Saint-Gilloise, where he helped the club earn promotion to the top flight. He earned his first move to a top European league in 2022, signing with England’s Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, before switching to VfB Stuttgart for the 2023-24 Bundesliga season.
Last season, Undav enjoyed a breakout campaign in Germany’s top flight, finishing second in the league with 19 goals – trailing only Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane’s 36. He made his senior Germany debut in March 2024, and has an incredible nine goals in 11 international appearances to date, with just three of those outings coming as a starter.
His World Cup performances have followed this same super-sub pattern: he entered the 7-1 opening win over Curaçao in the 64th minute, immediately notching one goal and two assists, then came off the bench in the 60th minute against Ivory Coast, scoring twice to lead Germany to a 2-1 comeback victory.
Nagelsmann sparked controversy earlier this year after a March friendly against Ghana, when he commented that Undav only scored the match-winning 88th-minute goal because he came into the game with fresh legs, and lacked the stamina to start. The coach apologized for the remarks shortly after, and on Wednesday both he and Undav appeared fully aligned on the striker’s role.
“Whether I’m in the starting lineup or coming on later, it doesn’t matter,” Undav said, sitting alongside Nagelsmann at the press conference. “It’s important that the team wins. I joined from the bench twice and we won both games. I’m very happy about that.”
In another lineup confirmation, Nagelsmann announced he will stick with 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer between the posts for the remainder of the tournament. Neuer returned to the national team for this World Cup after a two-year absence, pushing backup Oliver Baumann out of the starting spot. Nagelsmann added that goalkeeper coach Andreas Kronenberg spoke directly to Baumann about the decision, and the backup understood the call.
“Oliver really understood,” Nagelsmann said. “I understand completely from the human side, and if we only approached it that way it would be obvious, but we have to look at the large picture. It’s not always pleasant to make these decisions but those decisions have to be made.”
Undav’s breakout tournament has even created an unexpected supply issue for German kit supplier Adidas. The company briefly ran out of the letter “V” to print fan jerseys, due to soaring demand for shirts with Undav’s name alongside fellow fan favorites Kai Havertz and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Stock has since been restocked, and Undav says he is honored by the outpouring of support.
“My friends, my family already have a jersey. I really didn’t have to order anything new,” Undav joked. “I’m very honored by it.”
While Germany is focused on fine-tuning for a deep tournament run, Ecuador is fighting to avoid an early exit. The South Americans entered the World Cup on a 19-game unbeaten streak, but suffered a brutal 1-0 opening loss to Ivory Coast after conceding a 90th-minute winner. They followed that result with a scoreless draw against Curaçao, outshooting their opponents 28-10 but being denied by 15 saves from Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, including two first-half shots off the crossbar from John Yeboah and Alan Minda.
“I am convinced that we have a chance to meet our goals,” Ecuador head coach Sebastián Beccacece said Wednesday. “We’ll have the taste of happiness if we win and the taste of sorrow if we don’t, and that’s life for you.”
Beccacece also addressed an incident following Saturday’s match at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, where his wife and daughters were confronted by an angry Ecuador fan frustrated with the team’s results. The coach said his family was unharmed, and he framed the confrontation as a product of passionate fan disappointment.
“I talked to my wife, my daughters. They told me what happened. I haven’t seen it,” Beccacece said. “The first thing I asked was whether anything serious had happened. They said no. Nothing. And at the end of the day, I interpret this as a fan feeling hurt because of the results. I think anyone should be able to express themselves without reaching this level of confrontation.”