FIFA World Cup: Japan, Sweden advance with 1-1 draw
What's the story
Japan and Sweden played out a 1-1 draw in their final Group F match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The result at Texas's AT&T Stadium was enough for both teams to secure their spots in the knockout stage. Japan finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands, while Sweden also advanced to the knockouts. Here are the key numbers.
Game details
Two second-half goals
The match was a thrilling affair with both teams creating several chances to score. It saw two second-half goals, from Japan's Daizen Maeda (56') and Sweden's Anthony Elanga (62'). Notably, both Japan and Sweden held 44% possession, with 12% in the contest. Japan will now face tournament favorites Brazil on Monday, while Sweden's next opponents are yet to be determined.
Milestone achievement
Japan set new record
The match saw Japan score their seventh goal of the tournament, a record for them in a single World Cup. The previous record was six goals, which they scored during their Round of 16 run in Russia eight years ago. This is also the third successive instance of Japan going past the group stage since first reaching this milestone in 2002.
Unbroken record
Sweden's impressive World Cup record
Sweden also continued their impressive World Cup record, making it past the group stage for the fourth consecutive time they have qualified for the tournament. This streak dates back to 1994, when they reached the semifinals in the previous edition hosted by America. Sweden, who advanced as the best third-best side, will take on the Group I winner in the Round of 32.
Information
Successive goals for Elanga
As per Opta, Anthony Elanga became the first player to score in consecutive FIFA World Cup matches for Sweden since Martin Dahlin and Kenneth Andersson in the 1994 edition. Elanga earlier scored in Sweden's 1-5 defeat to the Netherlands.