In a tightly contested duel, Japan and Sweden settled for a 1-1 draw in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match on Thursday, June 25 in Arlington, Texas.
Daizen Maeda broke a scoreless tie in the 56th minute, but the Samurai Blue‘s lead didn’t last for long.
Sweden’s Anthony Elanga, who plays for English Premier League squad Newcastle United, delivered the equalizer in the 62nd minute, drilling a running blast from nearly 29 meters into the lower left corner of the net.
After that, both teams played at a high level, but the score was unchanged.
Samurai Blue goalkeeper Zion Suzuki had a busy, stellar night, making several difficult saves, including diving stops. Sweden finished with 11 shots, three more than Japan.
Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in action against Sweden in the second half. (©KYODO)
Japan finished the group stage of the World Cup with one win and two draws (five points), placing second behind the Netherlands. Manager Hajime Moriyasu‘s squad opened the tournament with a 2-2 tie against the Netherlands on June 14, then pounced on Tunisia, winning 4-0 on June 20.
Up Next for Japan
In the round of 32, Moriyasu’s men face five-time World Cup champion Brazil on Monday, June 29 (kickoff at 2 AM JST on Tuesday) in Houston, Texas).
Looking ahead to that match and the entire knockout stage, Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka told reporters, “I feel like our real battle starts now.”
At Tokyo’s National Stadium, Japan defeated Brazil 3-2 in an international friendly on October 14, 2025, famously rallying from a 2-0 halftime deficit. It was Japan’s first-ever victory over Brazil after two draws and 11 defeats in 13 previous matches.
In this expanded 48-team World Cup, the Japan-Brazil winner will meet the Ivory Coast/France or Norway winner in the round of 16 on July 5.)
Netherlands Places 1st in Group F
On Thursday, the Netherlands clinched first place in Group F with seven points ― two wins, including a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in Kansas City, Missouri, on this night, and a draw.
By finishing in first place in Group F, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman’s side advanced to play Group C runner-up Morocco in the round of 32 on June 29 in Monterrey, Mexico.
“I’m not sure if we are the favorite in the match against Morocco,” Koeman said, according to Reuters. “We need to prepare for Morocco, because it’ll be a big game. It’s a good team with a lot of quality, and they can score easily.”
Koeman believes his team, which scored 10 goals in the group stage, has plenty of things to work on in the days ahead.
“The pace, the positions, to create more, to get more people in between the lines, and without the ball, we can be more compact sometimes,” he said. “We need to transition faster, or go back, or forwards, all of us together, so there’s room for improvement.”
Daizen Maeda scores in the 56th minute. (©SANKEI)
Japan’s Lone Goal Against Sweden
Following a scoreless first half, Japan and Sweden returned to action in Texas focused on shattering the deadlock.
Maeda, who plies his craft for the Scottish Premiership’s Celtic FC, capitalized on a golden opportunity in the 56th minute courtesy of teammate Ritsu Doan.
Doan showcased his stellar passing skills, threading the needle on a through ball past a pair of Sweden defenders to his midfield mate. Maeda pounced on it and scored on a bouncing ball that got past Sweden keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
Japan playmaker Ritsu Doan (©KYODO)
“I was only concentrating on my first touch,” Maeda said, according to Kyodo News. “Ritsu can produce wonderful passes like that and while that’s something I can’t do, I thought I just had to run in there and that good ball came.”
The Japan lead evaporated moments later, with Elanga notching the match-tying tally.
“I’m happy I scored, of course I want to win, but in the end everyone shouted at me that we need to get one point,” Elanga said, according to Reuters. “But I’m happy we’re through, and now we have to try to play even better in the next match.”
Defender Yuto Nagatomo is appearing in his fifth World Cup, a Japan national team record. (©SANKEI)
Nagatomo Makes History for Japan
Veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo entered the match as a second-half substitute in the 75th minute. He gave the team an energetic spark and helped spearhead the defensive effort the rest of the way.
The 39-year-old became the 10th player to appear in five or more World Cups, and the first Asian footballer to achieve the feat. Only Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo have played in six.
“First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for Coach Moriyasu’s trust,” Nagatomo was quoted as saying by Daily Sports. “I’ve been preparing with the belief that I could do this, and I was fully confident from practice that I could handle it.”
Yuto Nagatomo (©SANKEI)
Nagatomo’s effort didn’t go unnoticed.
“It’s not for me to say, but he’s a wonderful player — appearing this many times in Japanese soccer is remarkable,” Tanaka, a Leeds United player, told reporters. “In this tournament, he’s guiding the team in a positive direction both on and off the pitch.”
Moriyasu relied on Nagatomo to provide leadership in the closing stretch of the match.
“With the score at 1-1, of course we wanted to win and outscore the Netherlands,” Moriyasu said, referring to the goal difference tiebreaker if Japan had beaten Sweden, Daily Sports reported. “But we couldn’t let our focus shift solely to attack and risk disrupting our game. With the score tied at 1-1, veteran Nagatomo urged the entire team not to panic.”
Japan’s Ayase Ueda passes the ball in the first half as Sweden’s Yasin Ayari defends. (©SANKEI)
Japan’s Starting Lineup Against Sweden
Moriyasu opted for a 4-5-1 formation against the Scandinavian side.
Along with Suzuki, the starting XI included defenders Yukinari Sugawara, Ko Itakura (captain), Ayumu Seko and Hiroki Ito; midfielders Ao Tanaka, Ritsu Doan, Daizen Maeda, Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada; and forward Ayase Ueda.
Shogo Taniguchi was the first Samurai Blue substitute to enter the match, replacing Itakura in the 39th minute.
Taniguchi was issued a yellow card in the 77th.
Japan fans celebrate after Daizen Maeda scores against Sweden. A public viewing venue was set up near Tokyo Tower in the Japanese capital’s Minato Ward. (©SANKEI)
Did You Know?
Japan, appearing in its eighth consecutive World Cup, is unbeaten heading into the knockout stage for the first time.
As Moriyasu’s men prepare to play Brazil, the Samurai Blue are seeking to reach the round of 16 for the fifth time and for the third straight World Cup. Japan made the last 16 for the first time in 2002, when it cohosted the tourney with South Korea.
The Final Word
“The first half was a tight match. On the other hand, in the second half we got the lead, but after being equalized, the momentum shifted to the opponent. Despite that, I think we achieved what was important — conceding the minimum, not losing, and securing at least a point. Being able to carry this unbeaten momentum into the Brazil match next is definitely positive.”
―Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki
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Author: Ed Odeven
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