ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - German footballer Deniz Undav became the first player of Kurdish descent to score at a FIFA World Cup on Sunday, celebrating his goal with the traditional Kurdish Govand dance.
Undav plays for the German national team as well as Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.
During Germany’s Group E opener on Sunday, Undav delivered a historic performance after coming off the bench in a 7 - 1 victory over Curacao. He scored a clinical goal in the 78th minute and provided two assists.
He became the first substitute in a World Cup match to record a goal and two assists since James Rodríguez achieved the feat for Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Undav’s performance sparked an outpouring of pride and celebration across the Kurdistan Region and among Kurdish diaspora worldwide.
His celebration - turning toward the corner flag to perform the traditional Kurdish Govand dance - quickly went viral, transforming a sporting achievement into a powerful cultural moment.
Reacting to Undav’s performance, Bavarian Football Works, a fan community website covering FC Bayern Munich and the German national team, remarked that “the striker only received his Germany call-up two years ago and since then has not disappointed.”
It added that Undav has scored “19 goals in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart, three in the Europa League and three in the DFB-Pokal [German cup], adding to a total of 25 goals.”
Despite his strong form, Undav currently serves as a backup to Germany’s first-choice striker, Kai Havertz.
The German fan community urged Julian Nagelsmann, Germany’s team coach, to elevate the status of Undav to a primary player.
“Undav has more than proved his mettle. Will it be enough for Nagelsmann to start him?” the outlet wrote.
Undav was born in 1996 in Germany. His parents are Yazidis of Kurdish origin, with family roots in the Kurdish-majority province of Sanliurfa (Riha) in southeastern Turkey. His grandfather migrated to Germany in the 1980s, where the family settled and where Undav was later born and developed his football career.
