Deniz Undav responds to Nagelsmann's World Cup criticism

German striker Deniz Undav has addressed public criticism from former national team coach Julian Nagelsmann regarding Germany's exit from the 2026 World Cup. Following Germany's loss to Paraguay in a penalty shootout during the Round of 16, Nagelsmann criticized Undav for failing to pass the ball during a critical scoring opportunity in the fifth minute of the match.

Undav revealed in the Bundesliga Magazine that the public remarks caused him significant distress, leading him to question if the team's elimination was his fault. He explained that at the moment of the play, he did not see a teammate better positioned to score. While he has attempted to move past the incident, he noted that the thought of whether that single action caused the exit still occasionally returns, despite the match lasting another 115 minutes.