After the conclusion of the second round of the World Cup, the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) released a new update of its performance ranking of athletes participating in the tournament. Striker Denis Undav, who plays as a substitute for the Germany national team, surpassed big names like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland to reach the lead among attacking players.
German reserve striker’s performance reaches top of list
With a score of 8.93, Undav consolidated his position in first place in the “attack” category in the survey. He played a crucial role in Germany’s comeback 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast, scoring both of the team’s goals. In his first appearance at the World Cup, the player had already found the back of the net when he entered the second half during the 7-1 rout of Curaçao.
The German player is closely followed by Messi, with 8.36 points, Mbappé, who has 8.08, Haaland, with 7.25, and Vini Jr., who has 7.17 points. While Messi, Mbappé and Haaland scored two goals each in the most recent round, the Brazilian found the net once. FIFA clarifies that scores are determined by a rigorous analysis of athletes’ statistical data, which allows consistent performances to be recognized even from less popular players globally.
Considered a “luxury reserve” for the German team at this World Cup, Undav has seen his name being considered for the starting line-up by the fans. However, coach Julian Nagelsmann opted to keep the striker on the bench, using Arsenal’s Kai Havertz in the center forward position, with offensive support from Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala.
Despite the current situation, the possibility of Undav starting the next games is not ruled out. “We talked about the two alternatives for him, whether as a substitute or starter. If he continues to score goals, we will be very satisfied. Every athlete wants to start playing, and I believe he is happy with the way things have evolved, he has a significant role for the team”, declared Nagelsmann after Germany’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.
Highlights in other categories of the FIFA ranking
In the category of most creative players at the World Cup, Frenchman Olise occupies first place, with a rating of 8.15. He is closely followed by Paraguayan Julio Enciso, who scored 7.84 points, and Moroccan Brahim Díaz, with 7.51.
Among the defenders, Canadian Derek Cornelius maintains the lead, a position he already occupied at the end of the first round of the tournament. The defender accumulates 7.50 points, followed by Belgian Brandon Mechele, with 7.35, and Cape Verdean Pico Lopes, who reached 7.20.
It is observed that no Brazilian player is among the top ten in the creativity and defense categories. The only representative from Brazil to appear in the main positions of the rankings is Vini Jr., highlighted in the attack category.