Undav, times create heroes.

It seemed as though Undav would forever remain a reserve player, a last-resort solution, but unexpectedly he became a hero for Germany.

Undav showed that it's always possible to shine, no matter the circumstances.

When Undav came on in the 60th minute of the match between Germany and Ivory Coast, Germany's playing style changed. Up until that point, the Ivory Coast players had defended very disciplinedly, with a low, tight formation, restricting the movement of the German players in the final 30 meters of the pitch. However, the appearance of the striker from Stuttgart immediately changed Germany's attacking structure. Ivory Coast collapsed, and the man who did it was Undav with the skill and coolness of a super-sharp, sensitive striker.

Undav - the versatile substitute player of the German national team.

Undav had an extraordinary season with Stuttgart, finishing second in the Bundesliga scoring charts with 19 league goals and a total of 25 goals across all competitions. In Germany, a top-class striker is called a "torjaeger," meaning "goal hunter." These are strikers who don't need 20 touches to make an impact and often seem invisible for much of the game, only appearing at the decisive moment. For this reason, many see Undav as a modern-day successor to Gerd Muller or Miroslav Klose. Undav has a different style, different characteristics, but his ability to turn ordinary opportunities into crucial goals is undeniable.

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Could Undav be the World Cup's top scorer as a substitute? Source: Getty Images

Undav's statistics for the German national team are unbelievable. Nine goals in 11 appearances plus four assists – a feat few strikers have achieved in the history of the German national team. Remarkably, he came on as a substitute in eight of those eleven matches. But why isn't he getting more playing time? The answer lies with coach Nagelsmann. The relationship between Nagelsmann and Undav has never been pleasant. An incident occurred in March 2025, after a friendly match against Ghana. In that game, Undav scored the winning goal, but after the match, Nagelsmann commented on Undav's performance with surprising words: "He didn't participate much in the game; before scoring, he hardly had any decent plays. I don't think he played well." These words caused controversy in Germany, especially since they were directed at a player who scored the winning goal. Those comments may stem from Undav's previous statement that he is ready for a starting position, not a substitute. This view contradicts Nagelsmann's views.

Many German fans believe that Undav will be a key factor in bringing success to their team at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: TRUNG THÀNH

Undav's story is one that German football loves to tell. For example, at just 16 years old, he was rejected by the Werder Bremen youth academy. The reason was that Undav was considered too small and not physically developed enough to pursue a professional career. Many might have given up, but Undav didn't; he started again at SC Weyhe, an amateur club near Bremen. He played for TSV Havelse in the third division, then for the reserve teams of Eintracht Braunschweig and Meppen, also in the third division. Even then, Undav had to work part-time while playing football to make ends meet.

The turning point came in Belgium, when Union Saint-Gilloise decided to buy Undav. In just a few years, from an unknown player, Undav became one of the most promising strikers in Belgium. From there, he joined Brighton, a team with the same owner as Saint-Gilloise. In the Premier League, although coach Roberto De Zerbi always praised and appreciated Undav's sacrifice, ability, and quality, he still got little playing time. Undav's real breakthrough only came when he moved to Stuttgart. In three seasons, Undav scored 57 goals and provided 30 assists, numbers that showed the striker had improved significantly. This led to Undav being called up by coach Nagelsmann at a time (in the last few years) when Germany had not produced a top-class striker.

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With this kind of momentum, could Undav be competing for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup, even as a substitute? With just one small opportunity, his exceptional goal-scoring instincts against Paraguay could make their opponents regret it.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/undav-thoi-the-sinh-anh-hung-1045407