TunisiavsJapan

Result

Japan were ahead inside four minutes through Daichi Kamada, and Ayase Ueda's 31st-minute strike made it two by the interval. Junya Ito added a third after the break before Ueda headed his second to complete a 4-0 rout that lifted Japan above Sweden into second in Group F. Tunisia, beaten 5-1 by Sweden in their opener, managed just two shots and none on target as a second heavy defeat left them bottom of the group and facing elimination.

Tunisia 3-4-2-13-4-2-1 Japan

Tunisia

Japan

Daichi Kamada4'

Ayase Ueda31'

Junya Ito69'

Ayase Ueda83'

38%Possession62%

2Shots11

0On target5

1Saves0

3Corners5

284Passes completed521

80%Pass accuracy89%

18Tackles18

8Touches in box17

Substitutions

Ismaël Gharbifor Elias Saadat 45'

Junnosuke Suzukifor Daichi Kamadaat 73'

Mohamed Amine Ben Hamidafor Dylan Bronnat 45'

Yukinari Sugawarafor Ritsu Doanat 74'

Firas Chaouatfor Sebastian Tounektiat 64'

Yuito Suzukifor Keito Nakamuraat 79'

Elias Achourifor Ali Abdiat 90'+1'

Ayumu Sekofor Takehiro Tomiyasuat 79'

Keisuke Gotofor Ayase Uedaat 84'

At this Stage

Two rounds into Group F, the pair who split the points on day one now split the summit. Japan's 4-0 dismantling of Tunisia — Kamada inside four minutes, Ueda twice, Ito in between — lifted them level with the Netherlands, 5-1 winners over Sweden, on four points and +4 apiece; the Dutch lead only on goals scored, seven to six. Sweden, so emphatic on matchday one, slid to third on three. For Tunisia the numbers read like a verdict: two defeats, one goal scored, nine conceded, zero points, bottom of the group and facing elimination. The 5-1 they took in the opener was the heaviest World Cup defeat in their history; the follow-up made it a trend. Japan wanted a response to Arlington and delivered a statement instead.

Group F

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Netherlands	2	1	1	0	+4	4
Japan	2	1	1	0	+4	4
Sweden	2	1	0	1	+0	3
Tunisia	2	0	0	2	-8	0

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Japan to win. Tunisia were taken apart 5-1 by Sweden in the heaviest World Cup defeat in their history, while Japan twice came from behind to earn a creditable 2-2 draw with the Netherlands. The Samurai Blue carry far more quality in the final third through Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma's understudies on the flanks and Ayase Ueda up top, and Tunisia's fragile, reshaped back line is there to be exploited. Expect a Tunisian response and a tighter contest than the openers suggest, but Japan's class should tell. 2-0 Japan.

Both cases written 2026-06-20, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 30% belongs to the draw.