Early this morning in Texas, the Netherlands and Japan faced each other in their first match in Group F of the 2026 World Cup.
Playing better, the Dutch team took the lead twice thanks to goals from Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville in the 51st and 64th minutes.
However, the Netherlands unfortunately squandered the victory when Japan scored in the 57th and 89th minutes. The goalscorers for the Asian side were Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada.
Despite sharing points with Japan after a 2-2 draw, the Netherlands maintained a rare record at the World Cup . Statistically, since the World Cup adopted the group stage format (in its early days, the tournament was played in a knockout format from the first round), the Netherlands has never lost in their opening match.
Specifically, in their first 10 World Cup matches since the tournament adopted the group stage format, the Netherlands have won 7 and drawn 3.
The last time the Netherlands lost their first World Cup match was in 1938, when they were defeated 0-3 by Czechoslovakia after extra time.
According to statistics, the Netherlands holds the second-longest unbeaten streak in World Cup opening matches in history, second only to Brazil . Specifically, after their 1-1 draw against Morocco in Group C yesterday morning, the Selecao extended their unbeaten run in opening matches to 21 games, with 17 wins and 4 draws.
According to the schedule, after drawing with Japan, considered the toughest opponent in Group F, the Netherlands will face an easier schedule. At 00:00 on June 21st, coach Ronald Koeman’s team will face Sweden in the second group stage match.
The Netherlands will conclude their group stage campaign with a match against Tunisia at 6:00 AM on June 26th. If they win both of these matches, the Orange team could potentially finish first in the group.