Sweden uses stunning equalizer to secure draw with Japan, spot in knockout round
There was drama, remarkable goals and worrying injury in Sweden’s showdown with Japan at AT&T Stadium Thursday in the final Group F match.
In front of a sellout crowd, fans were treated to another high-level match as both teams secured second-half goals to end in a 1-1 draw and earn a point each.
“I think the draws around about fair, I thought our second half performance we were the slightly better team,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. “But when you go a goal down, it’s really important to be wrapped up. I think the guys did that.”
Japan locked up second place in Group F while Sweden is expected to also reach the knockout stage after finishing third. The Netherlands won the group with a 3-1 win over Tunisia in Kansas City.
Here’s how the final group stage match unfolded:
A stunning equalizer
The bliss Japan felt after taking a 1-0 lead was short-lived as Sweden tied the match roughly six minutes later with one of the most impressive goals of the tournament. Anthony Elanga, a forward for Newcastle United in the Premier League, received the ball just outside the box, near the top right corner.
Elanga loaded up what initially appeared to be a cross, but instead was a beautifully curved strike that veered past the outstretched arms of Japan’s Zion Suzuki. Not only did it level the game, it was enough to secure Sweden’s spot in the knockout round, with Sweden needing a point to stay alive.
“It was instinctive,” Elanga said. “The coaches will tell you it’s something I work on every single day. When you’re in situations like that it’s more about focusing on the contact more than the shot. I’m happy that it went in because it set the tone of the game.”
Elanga nearly scored the winner in extra time, but Suzuki was able to deny the forward and another quality chance from Alexander Isak in the final moments of the match.
Japan finally breaks through
After nearly 60 minutes of near misses, Japan finally scored the match’s first goal in the 57th minute. Ritsu Doan set up the goal with a nice touch on a through pass to Daizen Maeda in the box. With the goalkeeper lined up in front of him, Maeda slowed down to gather himself and launched a rocket of a shot past Sweden’s Jacob Widell Zetterström.
It was a fitting finish for Maeda, who had already been one of the top performers of the match. His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario. It was the first goal for Maeda and the first assist for Doan, making it now 10 different players who have scored or assisted on goals for Japan.
It’s the most ever in the tournament, and the balance of the Samurai Blue is one of the reasons it should be considered a dark horse in the knockout round.
Tactical changes
After a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, Potter believed it was necessary to make changes to the lineup ahead of the match against Japan. One of those changes was inserting Elanga into the starting lineup after he was the lone goalscorer against the Dutch.
Another notable change was Potter trusting Zetterström with the start as goalkeeper. It was a gamble, but one that paid off as Zetterström secured two crucial saves to preserve the draw.
“We had to look at the things we didn’t do quite as well in the last game,” Zetterström said. “We learned from it, this game we were slightly more of a unit. We were more compact, in the end we did a very good defensive game. Defensively we worked as a very solid unit today. That’s a big contribution to the fact we got one point.”
What’s next for both?
It’s an achievement to reach the knockout stage, and both teams will celebrate briefly before turning the page quickly. It’s necessary as both will face two of the World Cup’s top contenders. With Japan securing second place, the Samurai Blue is slated to face Brazil in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, Sweden avoided Brazil, but its reward? A likely matchup with 2022 World Cup runner-up France, led by Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe depending on the result with Norway on Thursday night. If Norway wins, Sweden will face them and elite striker Erling Haaland.
“Whoever we meet is going to be a top team,” Potter said. “That’s the World Cup, that’s the challenge we have. We’re looking forward to whoever we meet.”
Both teams are dangerous and could make runs, but getting past their first opponents in the next stage will be a daunting task.
Sweden loses key piece
The first half was a sloppy slugfest as both teams tried to use their physicality to assume control. That meant fewer shots on target and a lot more fouls with players crashing on the pitch repeatedly. In the midst of the rugged match, Sweden lost one of its top players to a non-contact injury.
In the 36th minute, defender Isak Hien attempted to clear a pass into Sweden’s box, but he failed to make contact with the ball and ended in an awkward position after the missed kick. Hien immediately fell to the ground and had to be helped off the pitch with what appeared to be a lower-body injury.
Hien has been a rock defensively for Sweden since 2022, with over 30 appearances. The injury was an unfortunate occurrence in his World Cup debut and could affect Sweden’s chances going forward.
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 8:40 PM.
