The Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 on Saturday night in Houston in the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, delivering a dominant performance that followed their frustration in the previous match. After conceding a late equalizer to Japan in the 89th minute last time out, Ronald Koeman’s team responded with its first victory of the tournament and moved very close to the next round.
The Oranje were in control from the start and produced one of the most impressive displays of the World Cup so far. The article described it as a classic “Total Football, 2026 version” as the Dutch attacked relentlessly and never let Sweden recover from the setback.
Bruby and Gakpo each scored twice, while Summerville completed the rout. The result came after Sweden had celebrated a win over Tunisia and now faces Japan in the final group match, where it will try to recover from the heavy defeat.
For the Netherlands, the win in Houston was a strong answer to the missed opportunity against Japan and effectively put qualification within reach.