ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of Zewra (Isikli) village in Turkey’s Kurdish province of Riha (Sanliurfa) celebrate the outstanding performance of Deniz Undav in the 2026 World Cup.
“We are very proud of Deniz. We are thrilled that he has made our name, our village's name, our religion's name, and our Kurdish identity heard across the world. We are proud and honored by him,” a resident from the village told Rudaw.
His family had left Zewra in 1987 and migrated to Germany, where Deniz was born in 1996. Undav’s parents are Yazidis with Kurdish origin.
Deniz has never visited the village, but the village residents say that if he visits the land of his forefathers one day, it will bring them immense joy.
Undav, who has proudly spoken about his Kurdish identity, plays as a substitute striker for the German national team. By netting three goals and assisting two more across two off-the-bench appearances, he has become one of the top scorers in the global tournament, alongside Argentine’s Lionel Messi and three other players.
Reflecting on the early stages of the Deniz’s success story, Kato Undav, his uncle, said his nephew has been involved in football since he was 10 and that his father had worked more than two jobs to support Deniz in resuming his training.
“He went through so much poverty that he even reached the point of quitting football,” his uncle told Rudaw, adding that “at 14 or 15 [of his age], Deniz would go to work, and after finishing his job, he would practice football.”
Reacting to his performance, Bavarian Football Works, a fan community website covering FC Bayern Munich and the German national team, 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.
After opening his World Cup account during Germany’s 7-1 rout of Curacao, Undav delivered a stunning second-half double to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Ivory Coast.
With five total goal involvements as a substitute, Undav has officially equaled Cameroon legend Roger Milla's iconic 1990 record for the most goal involvements by a substitute at a single World Cup, according to OneFootball, a major international football media platform that publishes football news, live scores, and streaming content.
Abdulselam Akinci contributed to this article from Sanliurfa, Turkey.
