Deniz Undav
German footballer (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deniz Undav (German pronunciation: [ˈdɛnɪs ˈʊndaːf]; born 19 July 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart and the Germany national team.
|
Undav with VfB Stuttgart in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Deniz Undav[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Varel, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | VfB Stuttgart | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | TSV Achim | ||
| 2007–2012 | Werder Bremen | ||
| 2012–2014 | SC Weyhe | ||
| 2014–2015 | TSV Havelse | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | TSV Havelse | 67 | (32) |
| 2017–2018 | Eintracht Braunschweig II | 18 | (9) |
| 2018–2020 | SV Meppen | 69 | (23) |
| 2020–2022 | Union SG | 65 | (43) |
| 2022–2024 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 22 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | → VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 30 | (18) |
| 2024– | VfB Stuttgart | 56 | (28) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Germany | 11 | (9) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:51, 16 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:00, 20 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Early and personal life
Undav was born on 19 July 1996 in Varel and grew up in Achim, near Bremen.[3] His parents are Kurdish Yazidis. His father is from the village of Isikli (Işıklı) in the Viranşehir district of Urfa Province in southeastern Turkey,[4][5] while his mother is from Qamishli, Syria.[6] His paternal grandfather emigrated to Germany following the 1980 military coup, during a period when many Yazidis were leaving the region.[3] Undav is one of five children, and his brother, Rocat, also plays for TSV Achim.[7] During the early years of his playing career, he worked full-time at a factory.[8]
Undav is the first footballer of Yazidi heritage to represent Germany at a major tournament.[9]
Club career
Early career (2002–2020)
Undav began playing at his hometown club, TSV Achim, as a child. In 2007, Werder Bremen youth coach Frank Braakmann recruited him to the club's academy after watching him at a junior tournament in Achim.[10] Werder released him in 2012 because of his height. He then joined SC Weyhe and TSV Havelse, where he made his senior debut in the 2014–15 Regionalliga. He later played for Eintracht Braunschweig II and SV Meppen.[11]
Union Saint-Gilloise (2020–2022)
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In April 2020, it was announced Undav would leave 3. Liga club SV Meppen at the end of the 2019–20 season. With his Meppen contract running out, he would join Belgian First Division B side Union Saint-Gilloise on a three-year deal.[12][13]
On 13 March 2021, Undav won the championship with Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian First Division B, ending his season on 17 goals in 26 games.
On the 15th matchday of the 2021–22 Belgian First Division A season, Undav scored a quadruple, for the first time in his career, away at K.V. Oostende in the 7–1 victory.[14] He finished the season as the league's top scorer with 18 goals and was named Belgian Footballer of the Year.[15]
Brighton & Hove Albion (2022–2023)
On 31 January 2022, Undav joined Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion for €7 million,[16] signing a four-and-a-half-year deal. He immediately returned to Union Saint-Gilloise on loan until the end of the 2021–22 season.[17]
Undav made his Albion debut in the opening game of the 2022–23 season, coming on as a substitute for Danny Welbeck in stoppage time as Brighton beat Manchester United 2–1 for its first victory at Old Trafford.[18] He scored his first goal for the club in his second appearance, opening the scoring in a 3–0 away win over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup on 24 August.[19] He did not score again until 7 January 2023, when he came off the bench to add Brighton's final goal in a 5–1 away win over Championship side Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup.[20] He made his first Premier League start on 4 February, creating chances without scoring before being substituted in a 1–0 home win over Bournemouth.[21] On 19 March, he opened the scoring with a rebound from a Moisés Caicedo shot and later assisted an Evan Ferguson goal in a 5–0 FA Cup quarter-final win over League Two side Grimsby Town.[22] Undav scored his first Premier League goal on 29 April, opening the scoring and adding a second in a 6–0 win over Wolves.[23] He scored again on 14 May, adding Albion's second in a 3–0 away win over Arsenal.[24] Four days later, he scored at both ends in a 4–1 away defeat at Newcastle, heading into his own net from a corner before pulling a goal back.[25]
VfB Stuttgart (2023–present)
2023–2024: Initial loan spell
On 2 August 2023, Undav returned to Germany, signing for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart on a season-long loan for the 2023–24 season.[26] He made his Stuttgart debut on 16 September 2023, in a Bundesliga match against 1. FSV Mainz 05. On 27 January 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–2 win over RB Leipzig.[27] In his debut Bundesliga season, he scored 18 goals and provided nine assists, and Stuttgart finished second in the league to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2009–10.[28]
2024–present: Permanent signing and contract extension
On 9 August 2024, after his loan spell, Undav signed for VfB Stuttgart permanently on a three-year contract.[29] On 17 September, he scored on his Champions League debut in a 3–1 away defeat to reigning champions Real Madrid.[30]
On 23 October 2025, during an away match against Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, Undav was subjected to anti-Kurdish racism from sections of the stadium crowd following an on-field altercation.[31] The hostility escalated further on social media, where he faced continued racist abuse. Undav later publicly thanked fans for an outpouring of support in the wake of the match.[32]
On 14 February 2026, Undav made his 100th competitive appearance for Stuttgart, scoring his 48th goal for the club in a 3–1 win over 1. FC Köln.[33] On 9 May, he scored in a 3–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen to set a personal Bundesliga single-season record of 19 goals.[34]
On 1 June 2026, VfB Stuttgart announced that Undav had extended his contract until June 2029, with an option for a further season.[35]
International career
Undav was eligible to represent either Germany or Turkey internationally.[36][37]
In March 2024, aged 27 and having never been capped at youth level, Undav received his first call-up to the German national team ahead of friendlies against France and the Netherlands.[38] He made his debut for Germany in a 2–0 win against France, coming on for Kai Havertz in the 80th minute.[39] Undav was named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[40] He scored his first international goal in a 2–2 draw against the Netherlands on 10 September 2024.[41]
Undav was named in Germany's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[42] On 14 June, he appeared as a substitute in Germany's opener, scoring the sixth goal and providing two assists in an eventual 7–1 win over Curaçao,[43] becoming the second German player to assist two goals in a World Cup match as a substitute, after Pierre Littbarski.[44] In his second World Cup appearance, he scored a brace and earned Man of the Match in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast, securing his country's first qualification for the knockout stage since 2014.[45] With five goal contributions in a total of 56 minutes throughout the first two matches, he became the highest scoring super-sub in World Cup history breaking Roger Milla's record from 1990 as well as André Schürrle's record among Germans from 2014.[46]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Havelse | 2014–15 | Regionalliga Nord | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Regionalliga Nord | 32 | 16 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 16 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Regionalliga Nord | 32 | 16 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | 35 | 21 | ||||
| Total | 67 | 32 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 72 | 37 | |||||
| Eintracht Braunschweig II | 2017–18 | Regionalliga Nord | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 9 | |||
| Meppen | 2018–19 | 3. Liga | 35 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 38 | 7 | |||
| 2019–20 | 3. Liga | 34 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 17 | ||||
| Total | 69 | 23 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 73 | 24 | |||||
| Union SG | 2020–21 | Belgian First Division B | 26 | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 18 | |||
| 2021–22[c] | Belgian Pro League | 39 | 26 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 41 | 27 | ||||
| Total | 65 | 43 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 70 | 45 | |||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2022–23 | Premier League | 22 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 8 | ||
| VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 30 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | 19 | |||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 27 | 9 | 4 | 2 | — | 6[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 1 | 38 | 13 | |
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 29 | 19 | 6 | 3 | — | 10[f] | 3 | 1[e] | 0 | 46 | 25 | ||
| Stuttgart total | 86 | 46 | 13 | 6 | — | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 117 | 57 | |||
| Career total | 327 | 158 | 32 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 380 | 180 | ||
- Includes Lower Saxony Cup, DFB-Pokal, Belgian Cup, FA Cup
- Part of season spent on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearance in DFL-/Franz Beckenbauer Supercup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 20 June 2026[49]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2024 | 5 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 5 | 6 | |
| Total | 11 | 9 | |
- As of match played 20 June 2026. Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Undav goal.[49]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2024 | Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 4 |  Netherlands | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 2 | 11 October 2024 | Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 3 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 4 | 30 March 2026 | MHP Arena, Stuttgart, Germany | 7 |  Ghana | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 31 May 2026 | Mewa Arena, Mainz, Germany | 8 |  Finland | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 7 | 14 June 2026 | NRG Stadium, Houston, United States | 10 |  Curaçao | 6–1 | 7–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 8 | 20 June 2026 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | 11 |  Ivory Coast | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 9 | 2–1 |
Honours
Union SG
VfB Stuttgart
Individual
