Pre-match commentary
Japan will face Sweden in the last match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup with the goal of winning all 3 points to compete for the top spot in the group. Meanwhile, Sweden must win if they want to nurture hopes of winning a ticket to the 1/16 round.
The Japanese team is having a convincing performance at this year's tournament. After a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on the opening day, the Asian representative exploded with a 4-0 victory over Tunisia to rise to second place in the group with 4 points, only behind the Netherlands due to inferior goal difference.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu's team shows balance in both attack and defense. The attack maintains impressive scoring efficiency, while the defense system is increasingly operating solidly. With the current situation, Japan only needs a draw to qualify for the next round, but their goal is to win to create an advantage before the knockout round.
In the opposite direction, Sweden started the 2026 World Cup with a 5-1 victory over Tunisia, before suffering a heavy 1-5 defeat to the Netherlands. This result put the European representative in a difficult position when entering the final match.
To win a ticket to the next round, Sweden not only needs to defeat Japan but also has to wait for favorable results from the match at the same time between the Netherlands and Tunisia. This is not an easy task when their opponent is in stable form and the quality of the squad is more even.
Sweden's mainstay is still the striker duo Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak. However, the defense of the Northern European team has revealed many gaps against the Netherlands and will continue to be under great pressure from Japan's fast, highly mobile playing style.
Considering the current form and stability in playing style, Japan is rated higher. If they maintain the performance like the previous two matches, the Asian representative is likely to win to close the group stage with a position in the leading group.
Force information
Japan will not have the service of Takefusa Kubo due to injury. However, coach Hajime Moriyasu still has many quality options in attack.
On the Swedish side, coach Graham Potter has the strongest force in hand and is likely to use the optimal squad to aim for 3 points.
The Japan vs Sweden match in Group F of the 2026 World Cup will take place at 6:00 AM on June 26 (Vietnam time).
Expected lineup
Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Ito; Sugawara, Kamada, Sano, Nakamura; Doan, Maeda, Ueda.
Johansson; Hien, Lindelof, Gudmundsson; Svensson, Svanberg, Ayari, Bergvall, Elanga; Gyokeres, Isak.
