Deniz Undav sparks fan celebrations and calls for starting role before Germany's World Cup match

Former German striker Dieter Müller praised Deniz Undav as an "irreplaceable" goal scorer and urged national coach Julian Nagelsmann to start him in the group match against Ecuador. Undav entered the German squad with nine goals in eleven caps, ranking him among the team’s top scorers at the 2026 World Cup and fueling a media frenzy that he described as his "handy exploding".

Ahead of the game, Undav spoke about the hype on social media, saying it felt "very, very much" but did not change his focus on the pitch. A fan poll showed a slim majority (52 % vs 48 %) supporting his inclusion in the starting eleven.

In his hometown of Achim, roughly 300 supporters gathered for a public viewing before the match, celebrating the player who grew up locally. Former trainer Edeltraut Koch and club coach Aykut Kaldirici recalled his early talent. Undav was named on the bench and entered the game in the second half, but Germany lost 1‑2 to Ecuador.

The match was broadcast live in Germany on public‑service channels and streamed online, while the viewing event was linked live from East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.