How it happened: Japan and Sweden end group stage with 1-1 draw in Arlington
For the fourth time this summer, it is match day at AT&T Stadium in the 2026 World Cup, as Japan and Sweden will face off in a crucial Group F matchup that will determine who gets the automatic berth into the knockout round stage.
While these two teams are playing, Tunisia and The Netherlands will square off simultaneously in Kansas City. Here is the group standings going into the day:
- The Netherlands - 4 points (head-to-head advantage on goals scored)
- Japan - 4 points
- Sweden - 3 points
- Tunisia - 0 points
A win for either country in today’s match in Arlington will secure a spot in the knockout round, as the top two automatically advance. The loser — or Sweden if it’s a draw — will finish third in the group and will hold out to see if they finish as one of the eight top third-place finishers in the group stage out of 12 contenders.
We’ll have all the action from Arlington as the day goes on.
What’s next in Arlington?
8:56 p.m.
Four matches down, five more to go in Arlington.
Lionel Messi and Argentina will return to DFW on Saturday night for their final group stage match against Jordan. With Argentina already secured as the winners of Group J and Jordan needing a miracle to get into the Round of 32, there won’t be much for either side to play for, but it could be an opportunity for Messi to add to his World Cup-leading five goals. That match will kick off at 9 p.m.
It will be a quick turnaround for the first knockout round match in Arlington, as Tuesday afternoon will see Ivory Coast take on either France or Norway. The two latter nations will face off on Friday. If either side loses, that side will come to Arlington. If it ends in a draw, it will be Norway.
— Nick Harris
Elanga discusses electric goal
8:44 p.m.
The lone score for Sweden in the match came from a rocket off the left foot of Anthony Elanga, as he quickly answered a Japan goal with one of his own.
“Instinctive, we train on these things every single day,” Elanga said after the match. “The coaches will tell you, this is stuff we work on every single day. When you’re in situations like that, it’s more about focusing on the contact more than the shot.”
It was the second match in a row that Elanga found the back of the net, as he has been a reliable goalscorer despite playing alongside world-class goalscorers such as Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.
“I’m happy it went in,” Elanga said. “Because it set the tone of the game. I think we had the momentum to the end of the game to create more chances to score. We’ll take the positives from this game and focus on next game now.”
— Nick Harris
Game ends in highly competitive draw
7:58 p.m.
After the two quick goals, both backlines got back in order and held firm for the game’s final half hour to send this game to a 1-1 draw.
Sweden had a legitimate threat in stoppage time on goal, but Suzuki was able to corral it and avoid the late winner for the Swedes.
In Kansas City, The Netherlands came out on top 3-1 over Tunisia. Here are the final Group F standings:
- The Netherlands - 7 points
- Japan - 5 points
- Sweden - 4 points
- Tunisia - 0 points
Japan has secured a spot in the Round of 32 and will play Brazil in Houston on Monday. Sweden will await its fate as a third-place finisher, although the four points should be enough to put them into the Round of 32.
“Every game will be a challenge,” Sweden attacker Anthony Elanga said. “We saw it today. France, Germany, Norway, they’re all big teams. We just got to take whatever comes to us and focus on that.”
— Nick Harris
Suzuki mikes diving save to avoid deficit
7:25 p.m.
Japan avoids disaster, as goalkeeper Zion Suzuki makes a diving save to his left after a shot from Swedish superstar Alexander Isak that would have given Sweden the quick advantage.
Isak was able to find the clear look after snagging the ball off a Japan defender’s foot with no one back to help Suzuki. Fortunately for the Samurai Blue, the 23-year-old keeper was able to keep Isak off the board.
This match remains tied at one as we head into the final hydration break.
— Nick Harris
GOAL: Sweden answers with a strike
7:21 p.m.
And a quick response from Sweden! Anthony Elanga puts up a contender for the goal of the tournament with a rocket from the corner of the box into the left side of the net to bring this one back even at one goal apiece in the 62nd minute.
The crowd erupted as the ball crunched the back of the net. There is a new life and buzz to this environment after the two quick goals.
Can either side find the separator in the final half hour?
— Nick Harris
GOAL: Japan breaks through
7:17 p.m.
We have a goal! Off a beautiful feed into the box from Ritsu Doan, Daizen Maeda sends a shot into the bottom left corner of the net for the first goal of the match in the 56th minute.
Japan had been sinking their teeth in over the course of 10 minutes or so of gametime, and it finally paid off with a ginormous goal.
Japan 1, Sweden 0
— Nick Harris
Sweden with a huge save
7:10 p.m.
Japan had a huge opportunity in the 51st minute, as midfielder Daichi Kamada — already with two goals in the tournament — had a point-blank opportunity from roughly five yards out to open the scoring, but Sweden keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom makes an incredible save to keep the game scoreless.
— Nick Harris
Both teams threaten, but scoreless at half
6:52 p.m.
We’re at halftime in Arlington, as Japan and Sweden remain scoreless through the first 45 minutes.
Each side saw its best threat in the half’s closing moments, as Japan put two shots on goal in the final five minutes of the half, and Sweden forced the Japan keeper to stop a shot on goal in the final minute as well.
Both attacks seem to be finding a groove, as just one goal in the second half could feel like an insurmountable advantage in this type of match.
Japan 0, Sweden 0 — HALF
— Nick Harris
Injury to key Swedish defender
6:35 p.m.
Sweden’s starting center back, Isak Hien, fell to the grass after a collision of bodies, and he is exiting the game. FC Dallas defender Herman Johansson was an option for the Swedes to turn to, but it will be midfielder Lucas Bergvall coming into his place instead.
With a hole on the backline now for Sweden, can Japan find a crease and break through for this game’s first score?
— Nick Harris
No score at first hydration break
6:25 p.m.
We are at the first hydration break in Arlington, and it is scoreless between Sweden and Japan. The Samurai Blue have the edge on shots, 2-1, but Sweden has the lone shot on target so far through 25 minutes. Possession has been split nearly down the middle, with Japan having a 52-48 advantage.
In the other match of Group F, The Netherlands jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, all but cementing its place atop Group F at the end of the night.
We’ll see if either attack can find a crease here in the final 20-plus minutes of the first half, as this has mostly been a midfield battle with a handful of backline thwarts.
— Nick Harris
Another sellout in Arlington
6:02 p.m.
Although this was seen as the least appetizing match on the docket in Dallas for this World Cup slate, ticket prices still remained in the quadruple digits ahead of kickoff tonight.
In the last 20 minutes before kick, droves of fans have made their way into the stadium and the energy is starting to pick up. It’s not just Japan and Sweden fans though.
There are quite a few fans wearing Mexico jerseys, and now another sellout seems possible. DFW should have another electric World Cup environment.
— Steven Johnson
Starting lineups
5:58 p.m.
We’re minutes from kickoff here in Arlington. Here are the starting lineups for each squad:
Japan - Ayase Ueda, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan, Keito Makamura, Ao Tanaka, Daichi Kamada, Yukinari Sugawara, Hiroki Ito, Ko Itakura, Ayumu Seko, Zion Suzuki
Sweden - Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Anthony Elanga, Elliot Stroud, Yasin Ayari, Victor Nilsson Lindelof, Alexander Bernhardsson, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isak Hien, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom
— Nick Harris
Another FC Dallas moment?
5:43 p.m.
In the second World Cup match in Arlington, FC Dallas’ best striker, Petar Musa, got on the board for Croatia with a first half goal that ignited the DFW crowd and made the 28-year-old stream tears down his face.
Even though no other FC Dallas player has the national status like Musa does for Croatia, there could be another moment for the team in Arlington on Thursday night.
Though he hasn’t appeared in a game yet, FC Dallas defender Herman Johansson will be available as a reserve for Sweden, as they look for a bounce-back game after losing 5-1 to the Netherlands in their last match.
— Lawrence Dow
The curtains work!
5:15 p.m.
Cowboys fans, look away.
The curtains at AT&T Stadium are down and in use for this match, as FIFA will look to avoid a glare coming into the stadium this evening.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has long stated that the glare that shines into the stadium and onto the playing surface during games can be an advantage for his team, but players such as wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have stated otherwise after being affected by shining sunlight.
FIFA elects to take no chances with any controversy, dropping the famed curtains for this one.
— Nick Harris
Samurai Blue looking for repeat effort
4:48 p.m.
It was a huge success for Japan the last time they walked through the doors of AT&T Stadium, as they pulled off a massive draw with The Netherlands, 2-2.
A goal in the 89th minute from midfielder Daichi Kamada put the Samurai Blue back level with the Dutch and gave them a crucial one point toward their group efforts. After a dominant performance against Tunisia, it will take an epic collapse for the Japanese to not see the knockout round, but they would certainly love to seal their fate with a similar performance on Thursday night.
A win or a draw would secure a spot in the Round of 32.
— Nick Harris
Catch up on the action from the World Cup
4:34 p.m.
The three previous World Cup matches in Arlington have brought the excitement, as fans have left with memorable moments from each contest. Here is our coverage from each match:
Argentina 2, Austria 0
- Argentina’s Lionel Messi makes World Cup history at AT&T Stadium
- Messi puts on a show, leads Argentina to convincing World Cup win over Austria
- Messi may own the world, and the World Cup, but he doesn’t own the United States
- Ex-Cowboys quarterback among celebs at Austria-Argentina FIFA World Cup match
- Argentina fans arrive at Dallas Stadium (Video)
- FIFA Fan Fest erupts to watch Lionel Messi and Argentina
England 4, Croatia 2
Japan 2, The Netherlands 2
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 4:46 PM.
