Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place from June 14 to 25, 2026. The group consisted of the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia.
The Netherlands topped the group, winning two games and drawing the other. Japan finished as runners-up, winning one game and drawing the other two. Both teams advanced to the round of 32.
Sweden finished in third place, and their performance allowed them to advance as one of the eight best third-place teams.
However, the three teams performed poorly in the round of 32 and were eliminated from the World Cup. Tunisia were eliminated after losing their first two group games, and would go on to lose their third.
Teams Draw position Team Pot Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings November 2025 June 2026 F1 1 UEFA UEFA Group G winner November 17, 2025 12th 2022 Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010) 7 8 F2 2 AFC AFC third round Group C winner March 20, 2025 8th 2022 Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) 18 18 F3 4 UEFA UEFA second round Path B winner March 31, 2026 13th 2018 Runner-up (1958) 43 38 F4 3 CAF CAF Group H winner September 8, 2025 7th 2022 Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022) 40 45 Notes
Standings
In the round of 32: The winner of Group F, the Netherlands, advanced to play the runner-up of Group C, Morocco. The runner-up of Group F, Japan, advanced to play the winner of Group C, Brazil. The third-place team of Group F, Sweden, advanced to play the winner of Group I, France, as one of the eight best third-place teams from the group stage.
Matches All times listed are local.
Netherlands vs Japan
The teams had met three times prior, including the Netherlands' 1–0 group stage victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Their most recent meeting took place in 2013, a 2–2 friendly draw.
Coincidentally, both teams finished with a 2–2 draw in their opening match, with Virgil van Dijk being named as Man of the Match.
GK 1 Bart VerbruggenRB 22Denzel DumfriesCB 6 Jan Paul van HeckeCB 4 Virgil van Dijk (c)LB 15Micky van de Ven DM 21Frenkie de JongCM 8 Ryan Gravenberch CM 14Tijjani Reijnders RF 24Crysencio Summerville CF 18Donyell Malen LF 11Cody Gakpo Substitutions:FW 10Memphis Depay MF 26Quinten Timber MF 20Teun Koopmeiners DF 5 Nathan Aké FW 19Brian Brobbey Manager:Ronald Koeman GK 1 Zion SuzukiCB 16Tsuyoshi Watanabe CB 3 Shōgo TaniguchiCB 21Hiroki ItōRM 10Ritsu Dōan (c) CM 24Kaishū SanoCM 15Daichi KamadaLM 13Keito NakamuraRF 8 Takefusa Kubo CF 18Ayase Ueda LF 11Daizen Maeda Substitutions:FW 14Junya Itō DF 2Yukinari Sugawara FW 19Kōki Ogawa DF 22Takehiro Tomiyasu FW 26Kento Shiogai Manager:Hajime Moriyasu
Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Assistant referees: Corey Parker (United States) Kyle Atkins (United States) Fourth official: Katia Itzel García (Mexico) Reserve assistant referee: Sandra Ramírez (Mexico) Video assistant referee: Armando Villarreal (United States) Assistant video assistant referee: Rodolpho Toski (Brazil) Support video assistant referee: (Poland)
Sweden vs Tunisia The teams had met on four previous occasions, always in friendlies. Tunisia won the most recent meeting in 2003, by 1–0.
The fixture marked Sweden's return to a major tournament after five years, having failed to qualify for both the 2022 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024. Additionally, Sweden's five goals were the second-most the team has ever scored in a single World Cup match, behind only their 8–0 victory over Cuba in 1938.
After the match, Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi was relieved from his managing duties. It was the first time that a manager was sacked during the FIFA World Cup since the 1998 edition when Tunisia’s then manager Henryk Kasperczak and his side lost its first two group stage matches 2–0 to England and 1–0 to Colombia respectively. Additionally, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who was managing Saudi Arabia, and Cha Bum-kun, who was managing South Korea, both in the same tournament, were also terminated after their first two matches as well.
GK 23Kristoffer NordfeldtCB 2 Gustaf LagerbielkeCB 4 Isak HienCB 3 Victor Lindelöf (c)RM 21Alexander Bernhardsson CM 16Jesper Karlström CM 18Yasin AyariLM 5 Gabriel Gudmundsson AM 10Benjamin Nygren CF 17Viktor GyökeresCF 9 Alexander Isak Substitutions:MF 7 Lucas Bergvall DF 24Elliot Stroud MF 19Mattias Svanberg FW 11Anthony Elanga DF 8 Daniel Svensson Manager: Graham Potter GK 1 Mouhib ChamakhCB 4 Omar RekikCB 3 Montassar TalbiLB 21Mohamed Amine Ben HamidaRWB20Yan Valery LWB2 Ali AbdiCM 13Rani Khedira CM 17Ellyes Skhiri (c) CM 10Hannibal MejbriCF 8 Elias Saad CF 25Anis Ben Slimane Substitutions:FW 7 Elias Achouri MF 15Mohamed Belhadj Mahmoud FW 26Sebastian Tounekti FW 19Firas Chaouat MF 11Ismaël Gharbi Manager: Sabri Lamouchi
Man of the Match: Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Assistant referees: Maximiliano Del Yesso (Argentina) Facundo Rodríguez (Argentina) Fourth official: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica) Reserve assistant referee: Juan Carlos Mora (Costa Rica) Video assistant referee: Juan Lara (Chile) Assistant video assistant referee: Antonio García (Uruguay) Support video assistant referee: Hernán Mastrángelo (Argentina)
Netherlands vs Sweden The teams had met on 25 previous occasions, including a scoreless draw during the group stage at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and most recently in a 2–0 win for the Netherlands in a World Cup Qualifier match in 2017.
Brian Brobbey scored in the fifth and seventeenth minute, the fourth-fastest brace in World Cup history. The fixture was Sweden's worst defeat at the World Cup since being thrashed 7–1 by Brazil in 1950, which also remains Brazil's biggest win in a tournament match. The win set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history, with fourteen matches (spanning from the 2014 World Cup and excluding 2018, which they failed to qualify for), surpassing the previous record by Brazil.
GK 1 Bart VerbruggenRB 22Denzel DumfriesCB 6 Jan Paul van HeckeCB 4 Virgil van Dijk (c)LB 15Micky van de VenCM 8 Ryan GravenberchCM 21Frenkie de Jong CM 14Tijjani Reijnders RF 18Donyell Malen CF 19Brian Brobbey LF 11Cody Gakpo Substitutions:FW 24Crysencio Summerville MF 20Teun Koopmeiners MF 16Guus Til FW 10Memphis Depay FW 17Noa Lang Manager:Ronald Koeman GK 23Kristoffer NordfeldtCB 2 Gustaf LagerbielkeCB 4 Isak HienCB 3 Victor Lindelöf (c)RM 21Alexander Bernhardsson CM 10Benjamin Nygren CM 16Jesper Karlström CM 18Yasin Ayari LM 5 Gabriel Gudmundsson CF 17Viktor GyökeresCF 9 Alexander IsakSubstitutions:FW 11Anthony Elanga MF 22Besfort Zeneli MF 7 Lucas Bergvall FW 26Taha Ali DF 24Elliot Stroud Manager: Graham Potter
Man of the Match: Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
Assistant referees: Stuart Burt (England) James Mainwaring (England) Fourth official: Abongile Tom (South Africa) Reserve assistant referee: Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) Video assistant referee: Jarred Gillett (England) Assistant video assistant referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Support video assistant referee: Rodolpho Toski (Brazil)
Tunisia vs Japan The teams have previously met six times, including Japan's 2–0 group stage victory at the 2002 FIFA World Cup (which they co-hosted with South Korea). Their latest meeting took place in the 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup, which Japan also won by 2–0.
This fixture was the 1,000th World Cup match, with the previous milestone (900th) having been reached in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final. Moments before kickoff, a special pre-game celebration ceremony was held at the stadium with Princess Takamado (Honorary Patron of the Japan Football Association) in attendance.
With Tunisia losing their match, they became the third team to be eliminated from the tournament, following Haiti and Turkey, after losing two consecutive matches. Additionally, Tunisia became the sole African team to be eliminated from the group stage.
As for Japan, they became the first Asian team to score multiple goals in a single FIFA World Cup match, surpassing their own previous scoring record set during a 3–1 victory over Denmark in 2010.
GK 16Aymen DahmenCB 6 Dylan Bronn CB 3 Montassar TalbiCB 4 Omar RekikRWB20Yan ValeryLWB2 Ali Abdi CM 10Hannibal MejbriCM 25Anis Ben SlimaneCM 17Ellyes Skhiri (c) CF 26Sebastian Tounekti CF 8 Elias Saad Substitutions:MF 11 Ismael Gharbi DF 21 Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida FW 19 Firas Chaouat FW 7 Elias Achouri MF 13 Rani Khedira Manager: Hervé Renard GK 1 Zion SuzukiCB 22Takehiro Tomiyasu CB 4 Kō Itakura (c)CB 21Hiroki ItōRM 10Ritsu Dōan CM 24Kaishū SanoCM 7 Ao TanakaLM 13Keito Nakamura RF 14Junya ItōCF 18Ayase Ueda LF 15Daichi Kamada Substitutions:DF 2 Yukinari Sugawara DF 25 Junnosuke Suzuki MF 17 Yuito Suzuki DF 20 Ayumu Seko FW 9 Keisuke Gotō Manager:Hajime Moriyasu
Man of the Match: Ayase Ueda (Japan)
Assistant referees: Mihai Marius Marica (Romania) Ferencz Tunyogi (Romania) Fourth official: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica) Reserve assistant referee: Juan Carlos Mora (Costa Rica) Video assistant referee: Fedayi San (Switzerland) Assistant video assistant referee: Joe Dickerson (United States) Support video assistant referee: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Japan vs Sweden The teams had met five times, with Japan's only win from the notorious match in the 1936 Olympics in the first round. Their most recent meeting, a friendly in 2002, ended in a 1–1 draw.
In the 56th minute, Japan took the lead when Daizen Maeda scored with a low shot after running onto a pass from Ritsu Dōan in the penalty area. Anthony Elanga equalised in the 62nd minute when he curled into the net from out on the right edge of the penalty area, low into the left corner of the net. The draw was enough for Japan to finish in second place in the group.
GK 1 Zion SuzukiCB 20Ayumu Seko CB 4 Kō Itakura (c) CB 21Hiroki ItōRM 2 Yukinari SugawaraCM 15Daichi KamadaCM 7 Ao TanakaLM 13Keito Nakamura RF 10Ritsu Dōan CF 18Ayase Ueda LF 11Daizen MaedaSubstitutions:DF 3 Shōgo Taniguchi MF 14Junya Itō FW 19Kōki Ogawa DF 5 Yūto Nagatomo DF 16Tsuyoshi Watanabe Manager:Hajime Moriyasu GK 1 Jacob Widell ZetterströmCB 2 Gustaf LagerbielkeCB 4 Isak Hien CB 5 Gabriel Gudmundsson RM 21Alexander Bernhardsson CM 3 Victor Lindelöf (c) CM 18Yasin AyariLM 24Elliot Stroud RF 11Anthony ElangaCF 17Viktor Gyökeres LF 9 Alexander IsakSubstitutions:MF 7 Lucas Bergvall DF 8 Daniel Svensson MF 13Ken Sema DF 15Carl Starfelt MF 10Benjamin Nygren Manager: Graham Potter
Man of the Match: Anthony Elanga (Sweden)
Assistant referees: David Morán (El Salvador) Henry Pupiro (Nicaragua) Fourth official: Dahane Beida (Mauritania) Reserve assistant referee: Jerson Emiliano dos Santos (Angola) Video assistant referee: Nicolás Gallo (Colombia) Assistant video assistant referee: Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico) Support video assistant referee: Rodolpho Toski (Brazil)
Tunisia vs Netherlands
The teams had previously faced each other thrice, most recently in a 2009 friendly match that ended in a 1–1 draw.
With Tunisia already eliminated, they were off to a very shaky start. Ellyes Skhiri committed a costly own goal in the third minute, which allowed the formidable Dutch team to stretch the lead. Brian Brobbey would follow with a shot four minutes later. On the second half, Tunisia's sole goal was made by Hazem Mastouri on the 53rd minute, while it was Jan Paul van Hecke who sealed the Netherlands' top spot in the group stage.
Tunisia suffered its worst tournament performance to date, finishing without a single point despite winning matches in its previous two appearances in 2018 and 2022. This stood in stark contrast to its qualifying campaign, where it became the first African team to reach the World Cup without conceding a single goal.