The Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 in the second round of the World Cup and surpassed Brazil’s unbeaten record in consecutive matches in the tournament.
Now, the Dutch have 4 points and lead Group F, whose top two will cross with Group C, from Brazil, in the next phase.
The quiet victory over the Nordics greatly increases the Netherlands’ chances of ranking first, which would make the Brazilian team face them if they finish the group stage in second place.
With this Saturday’s victory (20), the Netherlands surpassed Brazil’s unbeaten record in World Cups and reached 14 consecutive games without defeat.
Brazil held the record for the longest undefeated streak for 60 years: there were 13 matches without defeat between the 1958 and 1966 World Cups, with 11 wins and 2 draws.
The Dutch series began in 2014, when they won the first four games of the tournament and drew the next two, against Costa Rica and Argentina, eliminating the first and falling to the second on penalties, which does not count as a defeat.
Absent from the 2018 World Cup, the Netherlands returned to the tournament in 2022, with two wins and a draw in the group stage, another triumph over the United States in the round of 16 and a draw with Argentina in the quarterfinals, being eliminated on penalties.
Now, in 2026, after drawing 2-2 with Japan in their debut and beating Sweden, the Dutch reached their 14th consecutive game without defeat and took over the record.
Tunisia 0 x 4 Japan
In a game in which they showed greater technical quality and an engaging and efficient attack, Japan overpowered Tunisia 4-0 in the early hours of this Sunday (21) at the BBVA stadium, in Monterrey (Mexico), in a match valid for Group F of the World Cup.
With the result, Japan takes second place in the group, with 4 points, the same as the leader Netherlands, but loses in goals scored (7 to 6). Tunisia finished at the top of the table, finishing at zero, and are eliminated. Sweden is third, with 3 points.
In the next round, the Japanese will face the Swedes while the Dutch will face the Tunisians, both at 8 pm (Brasília time) on Thursday (25).
If Brazil comes first in Group C and Japan confirms second place in F, the two countries will face each other in the 32-team phase, the first of the knockout stages.
In addition to the elastic score, the duel will also be notable for being the number one thousand game in the history of the World Cups, according to FIFA data.
The clash also marked the debut of French coach Hervé Renard in charge of Tunisia, replacing compatriot Sabri Lamouchi, who was fired after the 5-1 defeat suffered in the debut against Sweden.
Germany 2 x 1 Ivory Coast
Germany counted on the star of Deniz Undav, who came off the bench and scored twice, to overcome Ivory Coast at the BMO Field stadium, in Toronto (Canada). The winning goal came in second half stoppage time.
By winning 2-1, the Europeans tied with Brazil for the highest scoring team in World Cups (241 goals), reached 6 points in Group E and guaranteed early qualification for the next phase of the World Cup.
The German team has not advanced beyond the group stage since 2014, when they became four-time champions. In the following two editions, they suffered early eliminations after finishing last in their group at the World Cup in Russia, in 2018, and third in Qatar, in 2022.
In the third and final round of Group E, Ivory Coast faces Curaçao and Germany takes on Ecuador. Both matches will be at 5pm on the 25th, Thursday.
Ecuador 0 x 0 Curacao
In a historic result, Ecuador and Curaçao drew on Saturday night (20) in a busy duel, but without goals, largely due to the Caribbean team’s goalkeeper, in the World Cup.
The game, valid in Group E, represents the first point for Curaçao, a team that makes its debut in the tournament, held this year in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The Ecuadorian team, considered to have the best technical level, came under pressure to face the opponent and win the first three points in the tournament. But those who expected great dominance from Ecuador were disappointed.
The game at the Kansas City stadium was more balanced than expected, and the Caribbean team faced danger in counterattacks and had goalkeeper Eloy Room as the highlight.
In the third and final round of the group, Ecuador faces Germany, already qualified for the knockout stage, while Ivory Coast faces Curaçao. The matches take place on the 25th, Thursday, at 5pm.
