Germany's surprise star Undav gives Yazidis a reason to celebrate

Denis Undav, a German national team forward of Yazidi descent, has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America — and in doing so, has given the stateless Yazidi minority a rare moment of pride.

Born in Varel, a small town in northwestern Germany, Undav began his career in the fourth division before working his way up to the Bundesliga. At this World Cup, he came off the bench in all three group-stage matches, contributing three goals and two assists.

According to the AP on Saturday, Yazidis in the village of Khirbet al-Ghazal in northeastern Syria gathered at the home of a community leader on Thursday night to watch Germany's Group E match against Ecuador. Many residents of the village are relatives of Undav's mother, who is originally from a nearby community.

Community leader Ismail Dallaf said Undav's performances were "a symbol that Yazidis can rise to higher positions and be respected."

Irfan Ortak, chairman of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany, also expressed pride. "We always had to talk about genocide, discrimination and forced displacement," he said. "Now we can tell a positive story, and we are incredibly proud and happy."

The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious community scattered across Egypt, Syria, Turkey and elsewhere; many consider themselves part of the broader Kurdish people. Undav, born to a Syrian mother and a Turkish-national father, practices the Yazidi faith and is commonly referred to in Germany as a "Yazidi Kurd."

Because the Yazidis and Kurds have no independent state or football association, they cannot field a World Cup team of their own. That is why so many of them are cheering for Germany — and for Undav.

Even after making a name for himself in the Bundesliga, Undav has faced discrimination as a member of a minority group. During a Europa League away match in Turkey last October, spectators directed slurs at him, calling him a "traitor" and a "terrorist." Undav has explained his decision to represent Germany rather than Turkey by saying he knew that "two or three bad games with the Turkish national team would mean being completely humiliated."

That backdrop makes his World Cup performances all the more remarkable. Undav scored one goal and set up two more in Germany's opening group-stage win over Curaçao on June 14, then came on as a second-half substitute against Ivory Coast on June 20 and scored twice to complete a comeback victory.

Powered by Undav's contributions, Germany clinched first place in their group well ahead of their final group match, securing a berth in the round of 32.