The Netherlands twice failed to maintain its advantage and settled for a 2–2 draw against Japan in one of the most thrilling games of the 2026 World Cup thus far.
A rather underwhelming first half was soon washed away by an action-packed second 45 minutes which completely flipped the dynamic of the match. Virgil van Dijk rose and headed home the Netherlands’ opener in the 50th minute, but the Oranje’s joy was short-lived with Keito Nakamura’s strike leveling the score just seven minutes later.
