Football

Deniz Undav

Football · Forward · Kurdistan · GermanyVfB Stuttgart captain

“First Kurdish player to score at a World Cup.”

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Deniz Undav is a Kurdish competitor in soccer who rose through the German leagues to become a Bundesliga goal-scorer and full German international. In 2026 he became the first Kurdish player to score at a FIFA World Cup. He stands out with and regularly goes viral for celebrating his goals with the Govend, the traditional Kurdish line dance.

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Career highlights

2018

Into the 3. Liga

After starting senior football at TSV Havelse in the fourth tier, moves to SV Meppen in the 3. Liga, scoring 23 goals in 69 appearances there.

2022

Top scorer and Player of the Year

Having joined Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium's second tier in 2020 and helped them up, finishes as the top flight's top scorer and is voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. Brighton sign him in January and loan him straight back.

2024

Bundesliga runner-up with Stuttgart

Scores 18 Bundesliga goals on loan from Brighton as Stuttgart finish second, and the move is made permanent in August.

2024

Germany debut, and Euro 2024

Wins his first cap against France in March and goes to Euro 2024 with Julian Nagelsmann's squad.

2025

DFB-Pokal winner

Scores in the 4-2 final win over Arminia Bielefeld in Berlin in May, Stuttgart's fourth German Cup.

2026

First Kurdish player to score at FIFA World Cup

Comes off the bench to score and set up two in Germany's 7-1 opener against Curaçao on 14 June — the first player of Kurdish descent to score at a FIFA World Cup. In August he is named VfB Stuttgart captain.