Netherlands and Japan finish 2-2 in World Cup 2026 group match

In the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup held in Dallas, the Netherlands and Japan drew 2-2. The Dutch opened the scoring through a header by Cody Gakpo, while Japan equalised twice, first through a Nakamura strike and later a decisive header by Takuma Kamada after a Dutch defensive error. The match ended with both sides sharing a point, marking the Netherlands' 13th unbeaten World Cup result, equal to Brazil's record.

Separately, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin faced sharp criticism after labeling several upcoming World Cup matches as "uninteresting" following FIFA's expansion of the tournament to 48 teams. Thirteen nations that have qualified for the 2026 event, including Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa, issued a joint statement condemning his remarks as disrespectful to the efforts and aspirations of smaller footballing nations.