The excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is at its peak, with football fans witnessing new records being set daily. In today’s action (June 26) within Group F, the Netherlands advanced to the knockout stage as group toppers, while Japan and Sweden played out a high-pressure 1-1 draw, securing spots for both teams in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, matches for Group D have also concluded, with the USA and Australia qualifying. Japan has set up a blockbuster Round of 32 clash against Brazil.
Netherlands Top Group F; Japan and Sweden Advance to Knockouts
The Netherlands secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Tunisia in a rain-affected match on Thursday and are now set to face Morocco in the Round of 32. Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke scored a goal each, while Ellyes Skhiri also found the net; Hazem Mastouri scored Tunisia’s lone goal.
Elsewhere, Japan played out a 1-1 draw with Sweden, ensuring both teams secured their places in the knockout stage. Daizen Maeda scored for Japan, while Anthony Elanga scored for Sweden. This marks the third consecutive time Japan has advanced past the group stage of the World Cup—and the fifth time in seven attempts since reaching the Round of 16 as co-hosts in 2002. Notably, this is the first time in history that Japan has remained unbeaten in the group stage of a single World Cup edition.
USA Tops Group D Despite Loss to Turkey; Australia Advances to Knockouts
After delivering impressive performances in their first two group-stage matches, the USA suffered a setback, losing 3–2 to Turkey. In this thrilling encounter, Arda Güler (10′), Orkun Kökçü (31′), and Kaan Ayhan (90’+8′) scored for Turkey, while Auston Trusty (3′) and Sebastian Berhalter (49′) found the net for the USA.
With defender Auston Trusty’s goal, the current edition became the highest-scoring tournament in history, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals set during the 2022 edition in Qatar. Sebastian Berhalter also became the first American male player to score in a World Cup match. At just 21 years and 120 days old, Arda Güler became the youngest player to score for Turkey in the World Cup.