Deniz Undav’s form makes him a World Cup starter for Germany

Deniz Undav has turned a public dressing-down into a strong argument for a starting shirt. After Julian Nagelsmann criticized him in March even though he had scored a winner, the Stuttgart forward answered with decisive end product, first with a late goal against Ghana and then with two goals and one assist in Germany’s 4-0 win over Finland in Mainz.

That Finland performance mattered because it came just days before Germany departed for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Undav did not merely finish chances, he changed the shape of the conversation around Germany’s attack, pushing himself beyond the familiar label of super-sub and into the discussion for a larger role from the start.

Nagelsmann’s handling of Undav has become part of a broader test of the coach’s communication and squad management. In March, after Undav had scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Ghana, Nagelsmann still said the striker had played poorly. He later apologized and said he had got it wrong, a rare public correction that underlined how visible the exchange had become inside Germany’s buildup.

Germany’s 26-man World Cup squad was announced on May 21, and the selection only sharpened the tactical stakes around Undav’s form. Nagelsmann’s surprise recall of Manuel Neuer was one of the talking points around the group, but the more immediate football question has been how to fit Germany’s attacking talent together, with Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz all in the picture. Undav’s recent outings have given Nagelsmann another option: a forward who can change a game quickly or, now, start one with momentum already behind him.

The numbers have also fed the sense that Undav’s profile is rising beyond the touchline. By June 17, demand for Germany shirts with the letter V was so strong that kit makers had run out of V letters, with names such as Undav, Kai Havertz and Aleksandar Pavlovic among the pull factors. Germany’s group-stage path, against Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador, leaves room for rotation and late-game punches, and Undav’s form suggests Nagelsmann can trust him in both roles.