Japan draws 2-2 with Netherlands in World Cup group match

Japan's national team held a 2‑2 draw against the World No. 8 Netherlands in the opening Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Dallas' AT&T Stadium, earning a valuable point. The Dutch took the lead twice, first through Donyell Malen and later via Virgil van Dijk, but Japan equalised each time – first from a corner by Keita Kamada after a deflection off Kōga Kōki, and later through a Keita Nakamura strike assisted by Takefusa Kubo. Coach Mori Hirose praised his players for sticking together after being two‑goal down and said the result showed “toughness and unity”. Post‑match, Mori publicly thanked Dutch coaches Hans Ooft and the late Wim Jansen for their historic contribution to Japanese football. Japanese supporters continued a tradition of cleaning up the stadium after the game. Meanwhile, streaming platform DAZN issued an apology for audio‑visual glitches that affected the live broadcast of the match. The draw leaves Japan needing a win in the next group game against Tunisia to advance.