The world’s biggest stars are delivering on the world’s biggest stage.

Lionel Messi leads all players at the World Cup with five goals through Argentina’s first two games while setting the record for the most goals in World Cup history. France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland will meet Friday after each opened the tournament with back-to-back multigoal games. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal’s win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday, becoming the first player to score at six World Cups.

And then there is Germany’s Deniz Undav, the super sub who has emerged as an unlikely Golden Boot contender in his World Cup debut.

Undav was first added to the German national team two years ago, when he was limited to a single, six-minute appearance at Euro 2024. Now, the 29-year-old son of Kurdish parents from Turkey is the pride of Deutschland, producing three goals and two assists — the most goal involvements by a substitute since 1990 — in just 67 total minutes played, helping Germany clinch the top spot in Group E and advance to the knockout stage for the first time since its 2014 triumph in Brazil.

“Deniz has an incredible striker’s instinct,” Germany’s manager Julian Nagelsmann said. “As soon as space opens up, he’s incredibly clever in the way he moves … Deniz doesn’t need to be prepared. He can jump in right away.”

He has always made the most of his opportunities.

He spent five years at Werder Bremen’s youth academy before he said the club released him because he was undersized.

At 17, Undav played in the fourth tier of German football, supplementing his meager salary by waking at 4 a.m. and working eight-hour shifts in a factory, operating laser-cutting machines.

His potential surfaced in Belgium’s second division in 2020, leading him to play one season in the English Premier League at Brighton & Hove Albion, before he found a home at VfB Stuttgart, where he most recently finished second in scoring in the Bundesliga, behind England’s Harry Kane.

In his first World Cup game, Undav became the second-ever German player to assist on two goals in a World Cup match as a substitute while also scoring in a 7-1 win over Curacao.

Then, with Germany trailing 1-0 in the second half against Ivory Coast, Undav entered in the 60th minute and leveled the score eight minutes later on a brilliant volley in stride.

His game-winning, group-winning goal came in stoppage time, as Undav became the first German in 24 years to score in his first two World Cup appearances.

“I’m over the moon,” Undav said after the 2-1 win. “I had to laugh again. Even in Toronto, people are chanting my name … I’m enjoying it. I’m taking it all in.”

On Thursday, Germany (2-0-0) will come to MetLife Stadium, looking to prevent Ecuador (0-1-1) — a one-time dark horse that entered the tournament on a two-year, 19-match unbeaten streak — from advancing to the knockout stage.

While Undav will be tested against one of the world’s best defenses, his manager will be tempted to give his breakout star even more chances to lead Germany to glory.

“He really reached the highest point for the World Cup,” Nagelsmann said. “I could say, ‘Keep your flow, and it’s better you come in as the finisher.’ … I could have him in the starting lineup. Every player would love to start, but I think he is happy as it is now because he played an important role and we are happy with his performance.”