Japan rallies twice to draw 2-2 with Netherlands in World Cup Group F opener

Match summary

Japan and the Netherlands played out a 2-2 draw at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on 14 June 2026 in the opening match for both teams in Group F of the FIFA World Cup. The Dutch had twice taken the lead through captain Virgil van Dijk and forward Crysencio Summerville, but Japan responded each time with goals from Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada to secure a point. Van Dijk's goal was his first at a World Cup, while Kamada's equaliser came via a deflection off his head from a Koki Ogawa header following a Junya Ito corner.

How the goals unfolded

After a goalless first half in which the Netherlands enjoyed 69% possession (per France 24) and a 5-3 shooting advantage, the match burst into life early in the second period. Van Dijk opened the scoring in the 50th minute (Europa Press) or 51st minute (France 24), heading in a Ryan Gravenberch delivery that went in off the right post. Nakamura levelled six minutes later with a right-footed strike from outside the box that squeezed inside the left post, assisted by Takefusa Kubo, for his 11th international goal. Summerville then restored the Dutch lead in the 64th minute, receiving a pass from Gravenberch and drilling a shot that also went in off the left upright, roughly three minutes after he had been shown a yellow card. Japan appeared to have run out of chances after Kubo narrowly missed with a long-range effort in the 67th minute, but Kamada produced the equaliser from close range off a set-piece two minutes from time.

Player performances and substitutions

Gravenberch was the creative engine for the Netherlands, providing both assists before being replaced by Nathan Ake in the 81st minute. Van Dijk's header gave him a 13th international goal, his first at a World Cup. Japan's Nakamura added his 11th goal for the national team, while goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made five saves on his World Cup debut. Opposite number Bart Verbruggen managed one save for the Dutch, having been a pre-match doubt due to a hip injury suffered in a warm-up friendly. The Netherlands made five substitutions in total: Tijjani Reijnders, Summerville and Donyell Malen all came off for Quinten Timber, Teun Koopmeiners and Memphis Depay in the 70th minute, while Cody Gakpo was replaced by Brian Brobbey in the 84th. Japan also used four changes across the second half, including the introductions of Yukinari Sugawara, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Koki Ogawa and Kento Shiogai. Summerville, Depay and Micky van de Ven received yellow cards for the Dutch; Japan had no players booked. The match featured no VAR interventions.

Group F context

The result leaves both teams level on one point in Group F. The Netherlands, ranked eighth in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, had won their previous four World Cup matches, while Japan (ranked 18th) entered having won their last two opening games at the tournament. The attendance at AT&T Stadium was recorded as 69,285.