Japan to meet Tunisia in historic 1000th World Cup match

Japan and Tunisia will play each other in Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the tournament's 1,000th match. The game is scheduled at Estadio BBVA in Monterey, United States, on Sunday morning (local time), with a kickoff at 5:00 a.m. Bulgarian time (7:00 a.m. local).

Tunisia entered the tournament after a 1‑5 loss to Sweden, which led to the dismissal of coach Sabri Lamouchi and the appointment of Erwan Renard. Japan opened with a 2‑2 draw against the Netherlands and is seeking its first win and a first‑ever progression beyond the round of 16 under coach Hajime Moriyasu. Japan will be without forward Takefusa Kubo, who suffered a knee injury.

Historically, Japan have a strong record against Tunisia, winning five of their six meetings, the most recent World Cup encounter being a 2‑0 victory in 2002. The match will be broadcast live in Bulgaria and is expected to draw significant attention as the landmark 1,000th World Cup fixture.