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FIFA names Germany's star Deniz Undav as best player of World Cup group stage
According to FIFA's performance ranking, Germany national team forward Deniz Undav became the best player of the 2026 World Cup group stage. Despite playing only 86 minutes, Undav left behind stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Germany national team forward Deniz Undav wrote his name on the summit of international football with his performance in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to FIFA's power ranking based on in-match data, Undav was selected as the best player of the tournament.
The 29-year-old striker, who wears the Stuttgart jersey, scored 3 goals and made 2 assists despite playing only 86 minutes in group matches. This contribution was recorded as the highest scoring production per minute played.
Undav surpasses stars in FIFA ranking
Undav, who collected 8.38 points in FIFA's official power ranking, left behind the tournament's top scorer, Argentine Lionel Messi. Messi ranked second with 8.33 points, while French star Kylian Mbappe came third with 8.12 points.
The top 10 of the list included names such as Brazilian Vinicius Junior, Swiss Yohann Manzambi, French Ousmane Dembele, Norwegian Erling Haaland, Dutch Crysencio Summerville, New Zealander Elijah Just, and Moroccan Ismail Sabiri. Moroccan Sabiri managed to enter the top 10 with 3 goals and 7.07 points.
Praises from German press
German newspaper Bild said of Undav, "Simply put, he is the most effective among the named players." The newspaper highlighted that he achieved such high efficiency despite limited time.
Nagelsmann's preference sparks debate
Despite Undav's impressive statistics, head coach Julian Nagelsmann's decision not to start him in the first eleven caused surprise in the German press. Undav's remaining a substitute even in the match against Ecuador, which was a formality for Germany, was criticized.
Nagelsmann said in a statement on the matter, "There is always a debate about this. We could start him in the first eleven and benefit from his quality from the beginning, but our current thinking is that he continues to have an impact coming off the bench."
The young coach continued: "If Undav starts the match, we will most likely have to take out another player. Who else has the ability to put the ball in the net when the match gets tough?"
Undav expected to be on the bench again against Paraguay
Ahead of Germany's crucial round of 32 match against Paraguay, Bild newspaper predicts that Undav will start on the bench again. Nagelsmann's preference is a matter of curiosity for the match, which will start at 23:30 Mecca and Doha time.
German press emphasized that despite being the tournament's best player according to FIFA ranking, Undav will continue to be Nagelsmann's biggest trump card.
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