Germany secured their place in the playoff stage of the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 victory over a resilient Ivory Coast side. Under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann, the German team fought back after falling behind to claim all three points.
The opening phase of the match was relatively calm, but Germany gradually increased the pressure on their opponents’ goal. Despite this, it was the African visitors who struck first. In the 30th minute, following a cross from the left flank, the ball fell to Franck Kessié, who expertly finished with a one-touch strike past Manuel Neuer. Germany struggled to regain composure and failed to create significant chances before halftime, aside from a goal by Kai Havertz that was disallowed due to a foul.
At the start of the second half, Ivory Coast defended intelligently and launched sharp counterattacks, forcing Germany’s defence to scramble in their own penalty area. The turning point came in the 68th minute when Jamal Musiala’s substitute, Unndav, justified his introduction by converting a cross from the right wing with a stylish volley to level the score at 1-1.
The final stages of the game turned into an end-to-end battle. First, Ivory Coast’s Yahia Fofana made a crucial save to deny a powerful shot from Jamal Musiala’s teammate Brown. Then Simon Adingra squandered a golden opportunity after a pass from Nicolas Pépé. It looked as though the match was heading for a draw, but in the fourth minute of added time, Unndav responded to a vertical pass inside the box, skillfully turned, and fired a decisive goal to complete his brace and seal a 2-1 win for Germany.
This victory ended the so-called “second match curse” that had plagued the German national team for the past two decades during group stages of major tournaments, where they frequently dropped points. Although Ivory Coast lost, they still have a strong chance to advance after facing Curaçao in their final group game.
2026 World Cup
Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (0-1)
Goals: Kessié 30 (0-1); Unndav 68 (1-1), 94 (2-1)
