Deniz Undav just did something no German footballer has managed in 24 years. The VfB Stuttgart striker scored in both of his first two World Cup appearances, joining a very exclusive club with Miroslav Klose as the last German to pull off that particular trick back in 2002.

The Curaçao demolition and what followed

Germany opened their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 14 against Curaçao, and the final score read 7-1. Undav found the back of the net for Germany’s sixth goal and added two assists on top of that.

On June 20, Germany faced Ivory Coast. Germany found themselves trailing, then Undav came off the bench. He scored twice as a substitute, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 comeback victory. He earned Man of the Match honors for his trouble.

The Klose comparison and what it means

Miroslav Klose is Germany’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 16 goals across four tournaments. He’s the record holder for the entire competition. Klose burst onto the World Cup scene in 2002 with a hat trick of headers against Saudi Arabia in Germany’s opener, then scored again in the next match.

Undav has now recorded 7 international goals in just 10 appearances for Germany.

Germany’s advancement to the knockout stage in 2026 marks the first time they’ve reached that phase since lifting the trophy in Brazil twelve years ago. They crashed out in the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.

Why Undav’s emergence matters beyond the stats

Undav didn’t come through a traditional German academy pipeline. He spent time in lower divisions and played in Belgium before establishing himself at Stuttgart.