Japan v Sweden, 25 June 2026

Score1-1
RefereeIvan Barton
CompetitionFIFA World Cup Group F
VenueAT&T Stadium, Arlington TX
Attendance70,137

View Japan v Sweden head to head

Kick-off: 6.00pm local . Head to Head Played: 5 Japan won: 0 Drawn: 4 Sweden won: 1 Japan scored: 5 Sweden scored: 6 . FIFA World Ranking: Japan 18th, Sweden 38th . This was the first meeting at a FIFA World Cup tournament and the first meeting since a 1-1 draw in an international friendly played in Tokyo in May 2002.

1 Japan

Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

1 Sweden

Manager: Graham Potter

Goals:

Daizen Maeda 56 G

Goals:

Anthony Elanga 62 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki
Defender Ko Itakura (captain)
Defender Hiroki Ito
Defender Ayumu Seko
Defender Yukinari Sugawara
Midfielder Ritsu Doan
Midfielder Daichi Kamada
Midfielder Ao Tanaka
Midfielder/Forward Daizen Maeda
Midfielder/Forward Keito Nakamura
Forward Ayase Ueda

Starting lineup:

Jacob Zetterström Goalkeeper
Gustaf Lagerbielke Defender
Victor Lindelöf Defender (captain)
Gabriel Gudmundsson Defender/Midfielder
Isak Hein Defender/Midfielder
Elliot Stroud Midfielder
Yasin Ayari Midfielder/Forward
Alexander Bernhardsson Midfielder/Forward
Anthony Elanga Midfielder/Forward
Viktor Gyökeres Forward
Alexander Isak Forward

Substitutions:

Shogo Taniguchi for Ko Itakura 39
Junya Ito for Ritsu Doan 66
Koki Ogawa for Ayase Ueda 66
Yūto Nagatomo for Keito Nakamura 75
Tsuyoshi Watanabe for Ayumu Seko 75

Substitutions:

Lucas Bergvall for Isak Hein 37
Ken Sema for Elliot Stroud 75
Daniel Svensson for Alexander Bernhardsson 75
Benjamin Nygren for Gabriel Gudmundsson 87
Carl Starfelt for Victor Lindelöf 87

Cards:

Shogo Taniguchi 77 Y

Cards:

Isak Hein 32 Y
Viktor Gyökeres 84 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa
Goalkeeper Keisuke Osako
Defender Yūto Nagatomo
Defender Junnosuke Suzuki
Defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Defender/Midfielder Shogo Taniguchi
Defender/Midfielder Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielder Kaishu Sano
Midfielder/Forward Junya Ito
Midfielder/Forward Shūto Machino
Midfielder/Forward Yuito Suzuki
Forward Keisuke Gotō
Forward Koki Ogawa
Forward Kento Shiogai

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Viktor Johansson
Goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt
Defender Hjalmar Ekdal
Defender Carl Starfelt
Defender Daniel Svensson
Defender/Midfielder Ken Sema
Defender/Midfielder Eric Smith
Midfielder Lucas Bergvall
Midfielder Herman Johansson
Midfielder Jesper Karlström
Midfielder Mattias Svanberg
Midfielder Besfort Zeneli
Midfielder/Forward Taha Ali
Midfielder/Forward Benjamin Nygren
Forward Gustaf Nilsson

Comments:

Japan finished as runners-up in Group F and remained unbeaten in the group stage at a FIFA World Cup tournament for the second time: previously in 2002 in Japan. . The Samurai Blue now remained unbeaten in their last four group games at FIFA World Cup finals against UEFA nations (won two). . Yūto Nagatomo had now become the first AFC (Asian) player to appear at five FIFA World Cup tournaments and, with his 16th appearance, now held the national record holder for Japan at the finals. . Japan named 14 of a possible 15 substitutes. Takefusa Kubo was deemed not fit enough to participate in this game.

Comments:

Finishing as one of the eight best third-placed nations (2nd), Sweden had now qualified for the knockout phase in their last five FIFA World Cup tournaments. . They had now scored seven or more goals in the group stage at a FIFA World Cup finals for the first time: previously six in 1950 in Brazil and 1994 in USA. . Anthony Elanga had now become the first player to score in two consecutive games at a FIFA World Cup tournament for Blagult since Martin Dahlin and Kennet Andersson at USA in 1994.

1 Japan

Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

Goals:

Daizen Maeda 56 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki
Defender Ko Itakura (captain)
Defender Hiroki Ito
Defender Ayumu Seko
Defender Yukinari Sugawara
Midfielder Ritsu Doan
Midfielder Daichi Kamada
Midfielder Ao Tanaka
Midfielder/Forward Daizen Maeda
Midfielder/Forward Keito Nakamura
Forward Ayase Ueda

Substitutions:

Shogo Taniguchi for Ko Itakura 39
Junya Ito for Ritsu Doan 66
Koki Ogawa for Ayase Ueda 66
Yūto Nagatomo for Keito Nakamura 75
Tsuyoshi Watanabe for Ayumu Seko 75

Cards:

Shogo Taniguchi 77 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa
Goalkeeper Keisuke Osako
Defender Yūto Nagatomo
Defender Junnosuke Suzuki
Defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Defender/Midfielder Shogo Taniguchi
Defender/Midfielder Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielder Kaishu Sano
Midfielder/Forward Junya Ito
Midfielder/Forward Shūto Machino
Midfielder/Forward Yuito Suzuki
Forward Keisuke Gotō
Forward Koki Ogawa
Forward Kento Shiogai

Comments:

Japan finished as runners-up in Group F and remained unbeaten in the group stage at a FIFA World Cup tournament for the second time: previously in 2002 in Japan. . The Samurai Blue now remained unbeaten in their last four group games at FIFA World Cup finals against UEFA nations (won two). . Yūto Nagatomo had now become the first AFC (Asian) player to appear at five FIFA World Cup tournaments and, with his 16th appearance, now held the national record holder for Japan at the finals. . Japan named 14 of a possible 15 substitutes. Takefusa Kubo was deemed not fit enough to participate in this game.

1 Sweden

Manager: Graham Potter

Goals:

Anthony Elanga 62 G

Starting lineup:

Jacob Zetterström Goalkeeper
Gustaf Lagerbielke Defender
Victor Lindelöf Defender (captain)
Gabriel Gudmundsson Defender/Midfielder
Isak Hein Defender/Midfielder
Elliot Stroud Midfielder
Yasin Ayari Midfielder/Forward
Alexander Bernhardsson Midfielder/Forward
Anthony Elanga Midfielder/Forward
Viktor Gyökeres Forward
Alexander Isak Forward

Substitutions:

Lucas Bergvall for Isak Hein 37
Ken Sema for Elliot Stroud 75
Daniel Svensson for Alexander Bernhardsson 75
Benjamin Nygren for Gabriel Gudmundsson 87
Carl Starfelt for Victor Lindelöf 87

Cards:

Isak Hein 32 Y
Viktor Gyökeres 84 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Viktor Johansson
Goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt
Defender Hjalmar Ekdal
Defender Carl Starfelt
Defender Daniel Svensson
Defender/Midfielder Ken Sema
Defender/Midfielder Eric Smith
Midfielder Lucas Bergvall
Midfielder Herman Johansson
Midfielder Jesper Karlström
Midfielder Mattias Svanberg
Midfielder Besfort Zeneli
Midfielder/Forward Taha Ali
Midfielder/Forward Benjamin Nygren
Forward Gustaf Nilsson

Comments:

Finishing as one of the eight best third-placed nations (2nd), Sweden had now qualified for the knockout phase in their last five FIFA World Cup tournaments. . They had now scored seven or more goals in the group stage at a FIFA World Cup finals for the first time: previously six in 1950 in Brazil and 1994 in USA. . Anthony Elanga had now become the first player to score in two consecutive games at a FIFA World Cup tournament for Blagult since Martin Dahlin and Kennet Andersson at USA in 1994.