When it was looking bleak for Germany against Ivory Coast, the Kurdish German player Deniz Undav scored twice, including in the 94th minute of the match, allowing Germany to secure a 2–1 comeback victory on Saturday.

As a result, Germany became the third team to secure qualification at this World Cup Knockout Stage, following Mexico and the United States.

Moreover, Undav is now also leading the World Cup top scorer rankings with 3 goals, alongside Lionel Messi and others.

In Germany’s 7–1 Group E opening win over Curaçao, Undav made a major impact off the bench, scoring once and providing two assists, reported the website Heavy.com.

According to Bundesliga.com, he became only the second player since 1966 to both score and assist twice in a single World Cup match as a substitute.

Read More: German Kurdish Football Star Shines in World Cup Match

Born in 1996 in Achim, Germany, Undav is the son of Kurdish Yezidi parents originally from Viranşehir in the Kurdish-majority province of Urfa in southeastern Turkey. 

He has previously faced abuse for speaking publicly about his Kurdish roots.