The Netherlands kick off their World Cup campaign with a tough test against a Japan side tipped by plenty to progress deep in this year’s tournament.
The Dutch have never won the competition, reaching the final three times but losing on each occasion. If an elusive title feels unlikely this year, there is still plenty of quality at the disposal of Ronald Koeman, who has been boosted by the return to fitness of record Dutch scorer Memphis Depay ahead of the action getting underway.
This, however, could be a tricky opening fixture. Japan topped their group four years ago above Spain and Germany, and hopes are high that they might progress beyond the round of 16 this time around for the first time. With Sweden and Tunisia the other members of an intriguing group, a good start may be crucial.
Follow all of the latest from the Group F clash with our live blog below:
Netherlands vs Japan LIVE
- Netherlands face Japan in World Cup | Live on ITV with kick off at 9pm BST
- Netherlands XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van de Ven, Van Dijk, Van Hecke; Gravenberch, Reijnders, De Jong; Gakpo, Malen, Summerville
- Japan XI: Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Ito; Kubo, Doan, Maeda, Nakamura, Kamada, Sano; Ueda
- Clash in Dallas is a meeting of two favourites to progress from Group F
- Japan topped group including Spain and Germany four years ago and will hope for more success
- Netherlands get Memphis Depay boostbut he starts on bench
Moriyasu on Japan's 'perseverance'
20:24 , Mike Jones
“Perseverance can be viewed in many ways but once we Japanese set a goal, we have diligence in the process and the power to keep going — in football terms, to keep working hard from the first whistle to the last.
“Regardless of how the match is going, the players and supporters backing us in the stands can keep going and fight to the very end. We're not where we are by ourselves; we've received the baton from those who came before us and carried it towards the goal.
“Now we're fighting towards the future — towards winning a World Cup — and we connect that baton through our history, not on our own. I believe that's a real strength of the Japanese."
VAR will punish more divers at the World Cup – but only in one scenario
20:18 , Lawrence Ostlere
VAR will continue to punish divers at the 2026 World Cup if they get away with simulation – but only if the tackler is incorrectly booked.
It follows an incident in the USA’s first game of the tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday which caused some confusion inside the SoFi Stadium.
VAR will punish more divers at the World Cup – but only in one scenario
Pre-match thoughts from Hajime Moriyasu
20:12 , Mike Jones
The Japanese coach said: "Through the World Cups in Qatar and now this one, the foundation has always been our core team tactics.
“For this tournament we've worked on upgrading our game model — with our coaches leading on the attacking and defensive sides — and presented it to the players so they can now compete with a wide range of options.
“Within that model, the players choose how to play according to the situation, and in the individual match-ups and the flow of the game they communicate and stay unified.
“That's where I feel we've grown as a team heading into the World Cup.”
Pre-match thoughts of Ronald Koeman
20:06 , Mike Jones
The Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman spoke ahead of tonight’s game.
"We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We want to go far in the tournament,” he said.
“We have a strong team and we know what we need to improve to have a real chance but we need to take it one game at a time. We need to focus first on Japan, which will be a difficult game.
“[Striker] Memphis [Depay] is fit and will be able to start the game. Over the past 10 days, from the start of our preparations, his fitness has improved.
“Things are looking good – he’s an important player and has been for a very long time. He’s a key part to our possible success in this tournament."
Fifa’s lucrative World Cup breaks are ruining the spectacle
20:00 , Lawrence Ostlere
This hydration break is powered by Powerade,” roared Fox Sports commentator Ian Darke, as the first game of the World Cup stopped after 24 minutes so players could take on water.
The temperature in Mexico City was 23C, constituting a relatively mild day in the Mexican summer.
But if we’ve learnt one thing over the past few weeks, it’s that this is not a tournament to miss out on a fast buck.
Water-gate: Fifa’s lucrative World Cup breaks are ruining the spectacle
Fifa is ‘a dictatorship’ fumes Gary Neville
19:54 , Luke Baker
Gary Neville has labelled Fifa “a dictatorship” after a failure to release a VAR replay used to decide a tight semi-automated offside call during Switzerland’s draw with Qatar at World Cup 2026.
Neville said: “Offside. We all think it here. Everybody will think it at home. Fifa are the host broadcaster, they’ve got the evidence of the semi-automatic decision that they can show us. Why are they not showing us?
“They did this in the last tournament. Fans are already distrusting of Fifa and technology to start with. There is a massive question mark over that because that is offside in my eyes until they prove me different.”
Japan's starting XI
19:51 , Mike Jones
Japan XI: Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Ito; Kubo, Doan, Maeda, Nakamura, Kamada, Sano; Ueda
Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Sugawara, Itakura, Nagatomo, Seko, Tomiyasu, Suzuki, Tanaka, Ito, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai
Netherlands starting XI
19:49 , Mike Jones
Netherlands XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van de Ven, Van Dijk, Van Hecke; Gravenberch, Reijnders, De Jong; Gakpo, Malen, Summerville
Subs: Roefs, Flekken, Geertruida, Ake, Wieffer, Hato, De Roon, Kluivert, Til, Koopmeiners, Q. Timber, Weghorst, Depay, Lang, Brobbey
Tonight's venue
19:48 , Mike Jones
Dallas Stadium will witness nine World Cup 2026 matches including England’s opener against Croatia on Wednesday.
Since opening in 2009, it has been the home of five-time Super Bowl winners the Dallas Cowboys, and has also hosted the Concacaf Gold Cup and Mexico national team matches.
The iconic venue will play host to five group-stage games, two Round of 32 fixtures, one Round of 16 tie and the first semi-final on Tuesday, 14 July.
Japan's breakout star
19:42 , Mike Jones
Zion Suzuki, Parma
The young goalkeeper has established himself as No 1 for both Parma in Serie A and the Japan national team, and will be playing in his first World Cup.
Japan's star player
19:36 , Mike Jones
Ayase Ueda, Feyenoord
Not many teams have such an in-form striker at the World Cup.
How are the Japan shaping up?
19:30 , Mike Jones
Japan have risen up the world rankings in recent years and find themselves inside the top 20 coming into this World Cup. Consecutive appearances in the knockout stages and wins over Germany and Spain at Qatar 2022 proved their ability to compete with the best in the world.
Hajime Moriyasu has built a well-organised team full of energy and technical craft, who beat England at Wembley in March. Expect to see Japan on plenty of lists of “dark horses” over the coming days.
Their squad play all over Europe, and perhaps most eye-catching this season has been Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda, who won the Eredivisie Golden Boot scoring 25 goals in 31 games. The great disappointment for Japan is that Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma is injured and will miss the tournament.
Netherland's breakout star
19:24 , Mike Jones
Crysencio Summerville, West Ham
The 24-year-old is well known to Premier League fans and could now make an impact on the global stage with his pace and trickery on the ball.
Jurrien Timber ruled out of World Cup in blow for Netherlands
19:18 , Mike Jones
Arsenal’s Dutch defender Jurrien Timber has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a groin injury.
Timber, who missed the Premier League run-in as Arsenal clinched their first title in 22 years, will leave the Netherlands’ training camp in New York after Monday night’s friendly against Uzbekistan.
Jurrien Timber ruled out of World Cup in blow for Netherlands
Netherland's star player
19:12 , Mike Jones
Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool
Liverpool’s holding midfielder has not had an outstanding season by his high standards, but he is one of the best in the world in his position when he’s on form, and will be key both in shielding the defence and carrying the ball upfield.
How are the Netherlands shaping up?
19:06 , Mike Jones
The Dutch may only be eighth favourites before the World Cup began, according to most bookmakers, but they say defences win tournaments and Netherlands have one of the best in North America this summer.
The captain, Virgil van Dijk, was set to be paired with Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber in the heart of the backline alongside Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven at left-back and Denzel Dumfries – who is due to sign for Real Madrid from Inter – at right-back. That is before you get to Manchester City’s Nathan Ake, Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato and Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.
An injury to Timber has seen him withdraw from the squad with Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida called up instead.
Ronald Koeman can call upon an impressive midfield, too, of Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders – it is just a pity for the Netherlands that Xavi Simons has been ruled out by injury.
Unusually for a Dutch team, it is the attacking options which are a little thin. But Donyell Malen found astonishing form on loan at Roma this season, scoring 14 goals since joining from Aston Villa in January, and he is likely to lead the line.
Group F fixtures
19:00 , Mike Jones
(All times BST)
14 June, 9pm: Netherlands v Japan – AT&T Stadium, Arlington
15 June, 3am: Tunisia v Sweden – Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe
20 June, 6pm: Netherlands v Sweden – NRG Stadium, Houston
21 June, 5am: Japan v Tunisia – Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe
26 June, 12am: Sweden v Japan – AT&T Stadium, Arlington
26 June, 12am: Tunisia v Netherlands – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
World Cup 2026 – Group F guide
18:54 , Lawrence Ostlere
Group F looks on paper like one of the most intriguing of the 2026 World Cup, with four sides who will all fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout rounds.
The Netherlands may not have the attacking firepower of previous generations, but they have vast quality and experience in defence and midfield, and will start the group as the favourites to take top spot. But they face competition from a talented Japanese side who are ranked 18th in the world, a Swedish team with outstanding forward players, and a hard-to-beat Tunisian outfit.
With the newly expanded 48-team format, there is the potential for an odd situation in which it is preferable to qualify finishing third than it is to finish second, where Brazil are likely to await in the round of 32. It also means there will be a strong incentive to win the group, and that should make it all the more interesting to watch.
Empty seats at another World Cup match after ticket price controversy
18:48 , Jamie Braidwood
The World Cup 2026 match between Switzerland and Qatar played out in front of hundreds of empty seats to raise further questions about Fifa’s ticket prices for the tournament.
The Group B clash at the 70,000-capacity Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco on Saturday was the first game to be staged in the United States not involving the co-hosts and it failed to sell out.
Empty seats at another World Cup match after ticket price controversy
Two arrested for peace officer assault at Canada vs Bosnia
18:42 , Will Castle
Toronto police arrested two men “associated with a Bosnian fan group” during Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, it has been revealed.
The Toronto Police Service confirmed in a statement that the two men, of Germany and aged 25 and 27, were both arrested and charged for assaulting a peace officer after forces were called to an altercation in the stands at the Toronto Stadium around 2.20pm local time on Friday afternoon.
The Toronto Police Association warned on X: “We’re glad you’re here to enjoy the World Cup but please do so safely.
“Never put your hands on a police officer. They will arrest you. You will be charged. Our holding cells do not have TVs. You will miss the game you came to enjoy.”
US World Cup ticket prices skyrocket after win over Paraguay
18:36 , Will Castle
Fans eager to join the United States men's national team's World Cup journey are facing rapidly escalating ticket prices on the resale market, with some matches seeing over a 60 percent jump in just three days.
This dramatic surge follows the USMNT's impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their opening match on Friday, igniting a wave of optimism among supporters.
The "get-in price" for the upcoming group stage clash against Australia now starts at $1,735, according to TicketData. The Americans' Group D finale on 25 June against Turkey back in Los Angeles, has seen an even greater proportional spike over the same stretch, with the get-in price up 73 percent to $1,516.
England engulfed by disruption as they arrive in Kansas City
18:30 , Will Castle
England have arrived at their World Cup home away from home in Kansas City, the day after it emerged that equipment had been stolen from their base.
Some of the team’s boots and official tournament balls were discovered stolen on Friday, though Football Association sources have indicated the majority of the equipment, which wasn’t irreplaceable, has now been recovered.
The incident is expected to have no impact on the preparations of Thomas Tuchel’s team, but that isn’t the only extraordinary incident that’s hit the camp over the past few days.
It also emerged that England’s team chef was stopped from boarding a train to Orlando ahead of Wednesday’s warm-up clash with Costa Rica... because of his cooking knives!
And now, on their first night in Missouri, the Kansas City region has been hit by a tornado. They’ll hope this isn’t an omen for their campaign to come.
Ghana respond after Thomas Partey denied entry into Canada
18:24 , Will Castle
Ghana have spoken out against the “flimsy” grounds on which Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada for the 2026 World Cup, with sports minister Kofi Adams urging a review of the decision.
The ex-Arsenal midfielder will, as it stands, miss Ghana’s World Cup opener on Wednesday against Panama in Toronto after being denied a Canadian visa. The 33-year-old has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"If any Ghanaian is touched anywhere, we will not keep quiet over it," Adams told local station Channel One TV on Friday.
"Through the appropriate channels, we have communicated to the rightful authorities and are requesting for them to use all processes to review and give opportunity for a review of such a decision that we think frowns on international laws and conventions, which both Ghana and Canada are party to.”
Controversy surrounds Switzerland penalty in Qatar draw
18:18 , Will Castle
Switzerland were punished for playing with their food as Qatar snatched a last-gasp equaliser in their controversial Group B opener, delivering the country a first ever World Cup point.
Breel Embolo put Switzerland ahead from the spot early on, though the penalty was engulfed in contention after it was undetermined whether the player fouled was offside or not. No replay was shown, with Gary Neville labelling Fifa “a dictatorship” for a lack of transparency. Fifa later explained in a statement that a “a brief technical outage” had prevented the images being broadcast.
The Swiss took control of the game from that moment, and it didn’t look like they would cease it. But after failing to add to their lead with 26 efforts on goal, Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi wrote himself into history in the 94th minute, heading home to open Group B right up.
A seismic moment for Qatari football, the match was still played out in front of noticeable patches of empty seats, despite the official attendance claiming the 68,500-capacity Levi’s Stadium was 99.2 percent full.
Everything you missed from day three at World Cup 2026
Everything you missed from day three at World Cup 2026
18:12 , Will Castle
Scotland mark first World Cup in 28 years with win
We begin with a World Cup party in Boston. Scotland are back on the global stage for the first time in 28 years... and they have a win to their name.
John McGinn got the decisive goal, firing a deflected effort beyond Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide after a brilliant Ben Gannon-Doak cross forced the issue.
Haiti, who never looked out of the game, fought until the very end in search of an equaliser, with striker Frantzdy Pierrot seeing a late header go agonisingly wide in what was probably the Caribbean nation's best chance of the game.
But by clinging onto their clean sheet, Scotland were able to get the win over the line in a legacy-defining triumph for Steve Clarke. A huge boost to their hopes of getting into the knockouts, his side now go straight to the TOP of Group B after Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 in New York.
World Cup 2026 fixtures, results and group tables
18:06 , Mike Jones
The World Cup sees 48 nations divided into 12 groups for the first time in the tournament’s long history.
Co-hosts Mexico, USA and Canada are the top seeds in Groups A, B and D respectively, while Scotland are in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, and England are all the way down in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
World Cup 2026 fixtures, results and group tables
How to watch Netherlands v Japan
18:00 , Mike Jones
Tonight’s match will be played at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will kick off at 9pm BST (3pm CDT).
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on ITV1 with coverage beginning after the conclusion of the match between Germany and Curacao.
You can also stream the game on ITV X.
Good evening!
16:14 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s World Cup action where we’ll have the updates from Group F as the Netherlands take on Japan.
The group stage has already thrown up a couple of surprising results and there could be another on the cards with Japan posing a viable threat to the Dutch this evening.
Kick off for this game is 9pm BST and we’ll have all the build-up, team news and updates from Texas.
