Overview
The top spot in Group F will be decided when Japan faces Sweden at Dallas Stadium. The winning team will create a significant advantage before entering the 1/16 round of the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu's team is currently ranked second in Group F and still maintains an unbeaten record after two legs. Japan drew 2-2 with the Netherlands before defeating Tunisia 4-0 in the most recent match.
Daichi Kamada was the hero with the equalizer in the 89th minute against the Netherlands, before continuing to open the score after only 4 minutes in the victory over Tunisia. Ayase Ueda scored a double, and Junya Ito contributed a goal to help "Green Samurai" get very close to a ticket to the knockout round.
Despite holding the advantage, Japan still has a big goal ahead. As long as they do not lose to Sweden, they will close the World Cup group stage without conceding a second defeat in history, after the 2002 World Cup at home (2 wins, 1 draw).
Moriyasu certainly wants his players to maintain their excitement before the knockout round. Japan is currently unbeaten in 9 consecutive matches in all competitions and has not lost in the last 4 matches at the World Cup (2 wins, 2 draws).
If they continue to avoid defeat, the "Green Samurai" will become the second Asian team unbeaten in 5 consecutive matches at the World Cup, after South Korea with a 6-match streak from 1998 to 2002.
On the opposite side, Sweden went through a journey full of emotions. Coach Graham Potter's team started with a 5-1 victory over Tunisia but then lost to the Netherlands 1-5.
That makes Sweden the second team in World Cup history to both win and lose with a difference of at least 4 goals in the same tournament. Coincidentally, the first team to do this was also Sweden at the 1938 World Cup.
The most worrying point for Graham Potter is the insecurity in the defense. Against the Netherlands, Sweden only faced 10 shots but had 7 shots on target and conceded 5 goals.
That will be a difficult problem when the next opponent is Japan - a team with a very diverse attack. The "Green Samurai" have had up to 8 different players directly involved in the goals, equaling their own record at the World Cup (set in 2022).
Ayase Ueda is the most dangerous spark with three assists (2 goals, 1 assist). This is the best achievement of a Japanese player at the 2026 World Cup.
On the Swedish side, Alexander Isak is still the biggest hope in attack. This striker has scored one goal and had three assists, becoming the Swedish player with the most goals scored in a World Cup since the statistics were recorded.
According to Opta supercomputer, Japan and the Netherlands both have 100% chance of winning tickets to the round of 16, while Sweden is assessed to have a 91.9% chance of advancing. With all three teams almost certain to advance, the confrontation in Dallas is likely to decide the top spot in Group F.
Head-to-head record
This will be the first time Japan and Sweden have faced each other at the World Cup, although the two teams have faced each other five times before.
The Asian representative is possessing impressive achievements against European teams. Since the 2022 World Cup, Japan has been unbeaten in four encounters with opponents from UEFA (2 wins, 2 draws), including a draw with the Netherlands in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Score prediction: Japan 2-2 Sweden
The match between Japan and Sweden takes place at 6:00 AM on June 26 (Vietnam time).
