He group F of the World Cup 2026 It is, on paper, one of the most balanced in the tournament. They integrate it Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia: four teams with distinct football identities, respectable World Cup records and the shared conviction that they have a real chance of advancing to the knockout rounds. this sunday June 14Europeans vs Japanese began the dispute for the leadership of the group and started the World Cup contest with a 2-2 draw. In hours Swedes and Tunisians will face each other to see if one starts with a victory and is at the top of the table.
Japan comes back and draws the powerful Netherlands 2-2
Japan drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in a high-voltage debut in Dallas that rewarded the emotional strength of the Asians. The Blue Samurai came back twice to get a point with the flavor of victory against one of the favorites of group F of the World Cup 2026.
Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring minute 51 with a textbook headbutt, but Keito Nakamura He equalized six minutes later with a missile from just outside the area. Crysencio Summerville returned the advantage to the Dutch by 64′ with a left-footed shot that hit the lower right corner of Zion Suzuki. When the triumph of Netherlands seemed sealed, Daichi Kamada appeared at minute 88 to mark the agony 2-2 definitive with the help of a deflection that dislocated the rival goalkeeper. The Crystal Palace midfielder became the hero of the afternoon in Dallas.
In the first half, the Japanese defensive block worked solidly and Suzuki was decisive between the sticks to keep the score at zero. The second half was a back-and-forth spectacle: two goals from the Netherlands, two responses from Japan, and a frenetic finish that left both teams with one point each in the Group F table.
The negative note for the Dutch was the performance of Memphis Depaywhich entered the minute 70 and he was far from his best. The team’s all-time top scorer with 55 points He arrived at the tournament with little training after two months out and his presentation left doubts about his level for the next matches. The technician Ronald Koeman He will have to evaluate if he can count on him as a starter in the commitments that follow.
The Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu He acknowledged that the draw was not the ideal result, but he valued the attitude of his players against a top-level rival. “We are not completely satisfied with the draw, but the Netherlands is a top-level team and we tried to compete. We were tenacious but patient and remained calm,” said the strategist after the match.
On the Dutch side, captain Virgil van Dijk He was brief but honest when evaluating the match. “Today was a very difficult game, very difficult from start to finish and we got a point,” the defender declared before the press in Dallas, implicitly recognizing that the draw does not satisfy the aspirations of a team accustomed to the final stages of world tournaments.
Sweden returns to a World Cup after eight years of absence and does so with one of the most lethal attacks of the tournament. Alexander Isaac (Newcastle) and Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting Lisbon) form an offensive duo that any defense in the world fears. Added to them is the speed of Anthony Elanga by the bands.
Qualification was not easy: the Swedes did not get the ticket directly and needed the playoffs for the Nations League. It was Gyökeres who scored the winning goal against Poland at the 88 minutes to seal the pass. The technician Graham Potterwho took over in November, led the team through that decisive stretch and now faces the challenge of guiding it in the most demanding group they have ever faced.
Sweden arrives with 13 World Cup participations —was a finalist in 1958— and with the conviction that its offensive power can make a difference against any rival in the group.
Tunisia They are the least favored team in Group F on paper, but they arrive with credentials that deserve respect. He qualified for the tournament with nine wins and one draw in the African phase, marking 22 goals and without conceding any: the best defensive record in the entire CAF classification.
In Qatar 2022 he defeated Francethe world champion, in the group stage. And his World Cup record —seven shares— includes performances that have put more traditional rivals in trouble.
The technician Sabri Lamouchiwho took office in January, is committed to a defensive line of four and to give prominence to a new generation of footballers. Tunisia’s big goal is to reach the knockout phase for the first time, and the new format of 48 teams — with eight of the best third-place finishers advancing to the round of 32 — can work in their favor: a single victory could be enough to keep the dream alive.
He group F It has a strategic peculiarity that analysts already point out. In the new expanded format of the 2026 World Cup, finishing second in the group could imply a crossover with Brazil in the round of 32, which makes first place a high-value objective for all teams. That additional incentive can make the fight for the top of the group especially intense from the first match.
