How Netherlands inflicted more woes on Tunisia; Japan through
The Netherlands led by head coach Ronald Koeman grabbed all three points with a 3-1 win in their final Group F encounter against Tunisia at the Kansas City Stadium.
Netherlands ensured they topped the standings with seven points, while an already-eliminated Tunisia exited the 2026 World Cup tournament in fourth place without a win.
Tunisian captain Ellyes Skhiri opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, with an own goal after Netherlands took control of the keenly contested encounter .
Four minutes later, Brian Brobbey followed with tap-in in the 7th minute to put the Netherlands up 2-0 but Tunisia pulled one back early in the second half through a Hazem Mastouri header on his World Cup debut.
The Oranje ensured they finished the game with all three points at stake when Jan Paul van Heck restored his team’s two goal lead with a header just past the hour mark.
In the other Group F encounter Sweden forced Japan to a 1-1 draw at the Dallas Stadium to ensure that both teams qualified for the Round of 32.
The crunchy game came alive in the second period with two moments of brilliance following a cagey goalless first half in which both teams failed to find the back of the net.
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However, Japan took the lead in the 56th minute as Daizen Maeda put his team ahead following a slick, build-up and an inch-perfect assist from his Ritsu Dōan.
The Swedes national team leveled scores in the game in the 61st minute when Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga scored a curling left-footed strike from the edge of the opponents 18-yard box.
Key match stats: Netherlands vs Tunisia
Possession: Netherlands controlled 71.7% of the ball, setting a new team record for a World Cup match since data tracking began in 1966.
Shots: The Netherlands outshot Tunisia 19 to 10, with both teams landing a high percentage of their attempts on target (6 for the Netherlands, 4 for Tunisia). [1]
Passing Accuracy: The Oranje completed 611 accurate passes out of 660 total attempts, tracking at a stellar 92% passing accuracy compared to Tunisia’s 81%.
Defensive Clears: Under heavy pressure in a second-half downpour, Tunisia was forced into 48 clearances.
Key match stats: Japan vs Sweden
Possession: 52% (Japan) – 48% (Sweden)
Total Attempts: 8 (Japan) – 10 (Sweden)
Shots on Target: 3 (Japan) – 5 (Sweden)
Corner Kicks: 2 (Japan) – 8 (Sweden)
Passes: 379 (Japan) – 313 (Sweden)
Offsides: 3 (Japan) – 2 (Sweden)
Yellow Cards: 1 (Japan) – 2 (Sweden)
