Jonathan Tah credits German’s mentality for 2-1 win over Ivory Coast

TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 20: Deniz Undav #26 of Germany celebrates with teammates Jonathan Tah #4 and Antonio Ruediger #2 of Germany after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Cote D'Ivoire at Toronto Stadium on June 20, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images Germany’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast was gritty and gutty to say the least. Afterward, Bayern Munich star Jonathan Tah lauded his squad for its resilience.

class="has-text-align-none">“This was a win of the mentality, of the team spirit. We never gave up. We kept going and knew they would get tired. The guys who came off the bench brought tremendous energy. Deniz has shown once again how important he is when he comes on. We knew it would be a tough game because Côte D’Ivoire can play at a very high level. We have to keep going,” said Tah (as captured by @iMiaSanMia)

class="has-text-align-none">Tah is correct that it was a victory that was driven by things like fight, heart, and mentality. However, it was also powered by those two goals that Deniz Undav scored after coming into the game as a sub.

class="has-text-align-none">Would Germany be in a better position to not have to rely on its mindset if its most productive players just played more?

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