2 hours ago With his treble against the Ivorians, Undav became the archetypal German to people successful his archetypal 2 World Cup appearances since Miroslav Klose successful 2002.
That is elite institution - but astatine 1 signifier adjacent taking portion successful a World Cup was a distant imagination for Undav, who was rejected by Werder Bremen aged 14.
At 17, helium was earning £120 a week arsenic a semi-professional successful the German 4th tier portion balancing his footballing vocation with eight-hour shifts astatine a factory.
"When Werder told maine astatine 14 that I didn't person a aboriginal with them due to the fact that I was excessively small, it broke my heart," Undav said successful an interrogation with Belgian outlet 7sur7.
"But I did not wantonness hope. I near the household location astatine 17 to motion for Havelse successful the 4th part successful Germany wherever I combined playing and grooming with moving full-time, eight-hour days operating a laser instrumentality successful a factory.
"I got up astir 4am, went to the factory, past I went to grooming and got backmost location astir 8pm... earlier doing it each again the adjacent day.
"I had to bash that occupation for the wealth to unrecorded due to the fact that I couldn't past connected the wealth from the shot alone."
Undav moved to Belgian 2nd part broadside Union Saint-Gilloise successful 2020, helping them gain promotion the pursuing twelvemonth and past scoring 25 goals successful the apical formation - which earned him a move to Brighton.
But aft lone scoring 5 goals successful 22 Premier League appearances successful 2022-23 season, helium was loaned retired to Stuttgart who signed him permanently successful 2024.
Undav deed 19 Bundesliga goals successful 2025-26 - finishing 2nd down Harry Kane successful the apical scoring database - to gain his World Cup spot.
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