Japan produced a dominant display to defeat Tunisia 4-0 in their Group F clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026, moving within touching distance of a place in the knockout rounds.
The victory came in a historic contest at Monterrey Stadium, which marked the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history. Japan delivered a performance worthy of the occasion as they overwhelmed the North African side from start to finish.
Japan entered the match with momentum after drawing their opening fixture and continued their strong tournament form. Daichi Kamada has now scored twice at the tournament, while Ayase Ueda strengthened his growing influence with a brace and an assist in a standout performance that earned him the Player of the Match award.
The Blue Samurai wasted little time taking control of the contest. Just four minutes after kick-off, Keito Nakamura burst into the penalty area and squared the ball across goal for Kamada, who finished from close range.
The strike made history. It became the fastest goal ever scored by a Japanese player at a FIFA World Cup, surpassing the previous record set by Shinji Kagawa against Colombia in 2018.
Japan doubled their lead in the 31st minute. Ueda was afforded too much space outside the box and punished Tunisia with a powerful finish to give his side complete control before halftime.
Tunisia appointed coach Herve Renard earlier in the week, but his team struggled to respond against an energetic Japanese side.
Ueda turned provider midway through the second half when he set up Junya Ito for Japan’s third goal. The forward then completed his impressive evening by scoring again late in the match to seal a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
The result leaves Japan level on four points with the Netherlands at the top of Group F, while Tunisia’s second defeat confirms their elimination from the competition.
Group F Standings
1. Netherlands – 4 pts
2. Japan – 4 pts
3. Sweden – 3 pts
4. Tunisia – 0 pts
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