The Netherlands opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a pulsating 2-2 draw against Japan, a result that left Ronald Koeman's side with mixed feelings. After a goalless first half, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk—along with Manchester City's Nathan Ake and AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders—featured as the Dutch twice fought back from behind.
Standout performers included Netherlands captain Frenkie de Jong, who started the match, while Japan capitalized on defensive lapses to twice take the lead. Elsewhere on day four, Sweden's star strikeforce made a perfect start against Tunisia, and Curacao celebrated a historic World Cup moment. Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Yan Diomande continued to impress, catching the eye of new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola as a scouting mission.
The draw leaves Group [to be determined] wide open, with the Netherlands needing to tighten up defensively after conceding twice. Japan, buoyed by their second-half fightback, will take confidence into their next fixture.
Attention now shifts to Monday's matches, including Spain and Belgium taking the field. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah are set for what could be a final World Cup showdown when Belgium faces Egypt. Meanwhile, John Stones—who fought to secure his place in England's squad after nearly retiring—will be looking to prove his worth.
"I had to dig deep," Stones said of his selection. "It's pure joy to be here." Separately, a Mexican fan who made a racist gesture toward a South Korean content creator during the tournament has publicly apologized and resigned from his job.