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FIFA names Germany star Deniz Undav 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 outshone stars such as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Germany national team forward Deniz Undav has etched his name at the pinnacle 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 named the tournament's best player.
The 29-year-old striker, who plays for Stuttgart, scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists in the group matches despite getting only 86 minutes of playing time. This contribution went down as the highest scoring rate per minute played.
Undav overtakes stars in FIFA ranking
Undav, who collected 8.38 points in FIFA's official power ranking, surpassed the tournament's top scorer, Argentina's Lionel Messi. Messi ranked second with 8.33 points, while French star Kylian Mbappe came third with 8.12 points.
The top 10 list included names such as Brazil's Vinicius Junior, Switzerland's Yohann Manzambi, France's Ousmane Dembele, Norway's Erling Haaland, the Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville, New Zealand's Elijah Just, and Morocco's Ismail Sabiri. Morocco's Sabiri managed to enter the top 10 with 7.07 points and 3 goals.
Praise from the German press
German newspaper Bild said of Undav: "Simply put, he is the most effective among the players mentioned." The paper highlighted his ability to achieve such high efficiency despite limited time.
Nagelsmann's choice sparks debate
Despite Undav's impressive statistics, coach Julian Nagelsmann's decision not to start him in the first eleven caused astonishment in the German press. Criticism was directed especially at the fact that Undav remained on the bench even in the match against Ecuador, which was a formality for Germany.
Nagelsmann said on the matter: "There is always a debate on this. We could start him and benefit from his quality from the outset, but our current thinking is for him to continue having an impact coming off the bench."
The young coach continued: "If Undav starts, we will most likely have to take off another player. When the game gets tough, who else has the ability to put the ball in the net?"
Undav expected to stay on the bench for Paraguay match
Ahead of Germany's crucial round of 32 match against Paraguay, Bild predicts that Undav will again start on the bench. Nagelsmann's choice is a topic of curiosity for the match, which will start at 23:30 Mecca and Doha time.
The German press emphasized that despite being the tournament's best player according to the FIFA ranking, Undav will continue to remain Nagelsmann's biggest trump card.
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