 Undav withVfB Stuttgart in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Deniz Undav[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-07-19)19 July 1996 (age 29) | ||
| Place of birth | Varel, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | VfB Stuttgart | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | TSV Achim | ||
| 2007–2012 | Werder Bremen | ||
| 2012–2014 | SC Weyhe | ||
| 2014–2015 | TSV Havelse | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | TSV Havelse | 67 | (32) |
| 2017–2018 | Eintracht Braunschweig II | 18 | (9) |
| 2018–2020 | SV Meppen | 69 | (23) |
| 2020–2022 | Union SG | 65 | (43) |
| 2022–2024 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 22 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | →VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 30 | (18) |
| 2024– | VfB Stuttgart | 42 | (20) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Germany | 6 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:47, 25 January 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15:37, 8 June 2025 (UTC) | |||
Deniz Undav (born 19 July 1996) is a German professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forBundesliga clubVfB Stuttgart and theGermany national team.
Undav, who grew up inAchim, played for TSV Achim before joining the youth department ofWerder Bremen, in which he was released after five years due to his lack of height. Later on, he joined SC Weyhe, thenTSV Havelse where he made his senior debut during the2014–15 Regionalliga. He later played forEintracht Braunschweig II, followed bySV Meppen.[3]
In April 2020, it was announced Undav would leave3. Liga club SV Meppen at the end of the 2019–20 season. With his Meppen contract running out, he would joinBelgian First Division B sideUnion Saint-Gilloise on a three-year deal.[4][5]
On 13 March 2021, Undav won the championship withUnion Saint-Gilloise in theBelgian First Division B ending his season on 17 goals in 26 games.
On the 15th matchday in the2021–22 Belgian First Division A season Undav scored, for the first time in his career, a quadruple away atK.V. Oostende in the 7–1 victory.[6] He finished the season as top scorer of the league with 18 goals, and was awarded the Footballer of the Year in Belgium.[7]
On 31 January 2022, Undav joinedPremier League clubBrighton & Hove Albion for €7 million,[8] signing a four-and-a-half-year deal. He immediately returned to Union Saint-Gilloise until the end of the2021–22 season on loan.[9]
Undav made hisAlbion debut on the opening game of the2022–23 season, coming on as a 90+5th minute substitute forDanny Welbeck, helping Brighton win its first ever victory atOld Trafford after beatingManchester United 2–1.[10] He scored his first goal for the club in his second appearance, opening the scoreline in the 3–0 away victory overLeague One sideForest Green Rovers in the second round of theEFL Cup on 24 August.[11] He didn't score again until over four-and-a-half months later on 7 January 2023, scoring Brighton's last after coming on as a substitute, in the 5–1 away thrashing overChampionship sideMiddlesbrough in theFA Cup third round.[12] Undav made his first Premier League start on 4 February, creating chances and making several attempts on goal without success before being substituted off in the eventual 1–0 home win overBournemouth.[13] He opened the scoreline on 19 March, scoring a rebound from aMoisés Caicedo shot, later assisting aEvan Ferguson goal in the 5–0 FA Cup quarter-final win overLeague Two sideGrimsby Town.[14] Undav scored his first Premier League goal on 29 April, opening the scoreline and later adding a second in the 6–0 thrashing ofWolves, their biggest Premier League victory.[15] He added to his Premier League tally on 14 May, chipping inAlbions' second in the eventual 3–0 away win overArsenal.[16] Four days later, Undav scored at both ends in Brighton's 4–1 away defeat atNewcastle, heading in an own goal from a corner to open the scoreline before hitting one back from two down.[17]
On 2 August 2023, Undav returned to his native Germany, signing forBundesliga clubVfB Stuttgart on a season-long loan for the2023–24 season.[18] He made his Stuttgart debut on 16 September 2023, in aBundesliga match against1. FSV Mainz 05. On 27 January 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–2 win overRB Leipzig.[19] In his debut Bundesliga season, he scored 18 goals and provided 9 assists, as his club finished second in the league and securedChampions League qualification for the first time since 2009–10.[20]
On 9 August 2024, following a season-long loan spell, Undav signed for VfB Stuttgart on a permanent basis, signing a three-year contract.[21] A month later, on 17 September, he scored a goal on his Champions League debut which ended in a 3–1 away defeat against reigning championsReal Madrid.[22]
Undav was eligible to represent eitherGermany orTurkey internationally.[23][24]
In March 2024, Undav received his first call-up to the German national team ahead of their friendlies againstFrance and theNetherlands.[25] He made his debut forDie Mannschaft in a 2–0 victory against France after coming on forKai Havertz in the 80th minute.[26] In June, Undav was named in Germany's squad forUEFA Euro 2024.[27] Undav scored his first international goal in a 2–2 draw against the Netherlands on 10 September 2024.[28]
Undav was born in Germany to aKurdish-Yazidi family of five children from the village ofIşıklı, located within the municipality ofViranşehir and situated inŞanlıurfa Province of Turkey. His grandfather migrated to Germany due to pressure following the1980 coup in Turkey.[29][30][31]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Havelse | 2014–15 | Regionalliga Nord | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Regionalliga Nord | 32 | 16 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 16 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Regionalliga Nord | 32 | 16 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | 35 | 21 | ||||
| Total | 67 | 32 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 72 | 37 | |||||
| Eintracht Braunschweig II | 2017–18 | Regionalliga Nord | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 9 | |||
| Meppen | 2018–19 | 3. Liga | 35 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 38 | 7 | |||
| 2019–20 | 3. Liga | 34 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 17 | ||||
| Total | 69 | 23 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 73 | 24 | |||||
| Union SG | 2020–21 | Belgian First Division B | 26 | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 18 | |||
| 2021–22[c] | Belgian Pro League | 39 | 26 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 41 | 27 | ||||
| Total | 65 | 43 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 70 | 45 | |||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2022–23 | Premier League | 22 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 8 | ||
| VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 30 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | 19 | |||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 27 | 9 | 4 | 2 | — | 6[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 1 | 38 | 13 | |
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | 6[f] | 2 | 1[g] | 0 | 25 | 14 | ||
| Stuttgart total | 72 | 38 | 10 | 4 | — | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 96 | 46 | |||
| Career total | 313 | 150 | 29 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 359 | 169 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2024 | 5 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2024 | Johan Cruyff Arena,Amsterdam, Netherlands | 4 |  Netherlands | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 2 | 11 October 2024 | Bilino Polje Stadium,Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 3 | 2–0 |
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Union SG
VfB Stuttgart
Individual
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