Netherlands and Germany Impress, Curaçao Makes World Cup History

The second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage delivered a series of major results on Sunday, with the Netherlands, Germany, Curaçao and Japan all taking center stage. The Netherlands rebounded from a disappointing opening match with a dominant 5-1 win over Sweden, while Germany sealed its place in the knockout stage with a dramatic stoppage-time comeback against Ivory Coast. Curaçao also made history by earning its first-ever World Cup point, and Japan moved close to advancing with a 4-0 victory over Tunisia.

In the Netherlands-Sweden match, Brian Brobbey, making his first start, scored twice in the first half. Cody Gakpo added two more after the break, and Christopher Summerville completed the rout. Anthony Elanga scored Sweden’s lone goal. The result was a statement win for the Dutch, who were described as looking like a serious contender in the title race.

Germany fell behind to a goal from Franck Kessié, but Deniz Undav equalized in the 68th minute and then won it in the 94th minute. The 2-1 victory, under coach Julian Nagelsmann, sent Germany through after just two matches. In the same group, Curaçao drew 0-0 with Ecuador, with goalkeeper Eloy Room making 15 saves to secure the tiny nation, about 180,000 people, its first World Cup point and keep a theoretical chance of advancing.

Japan continued its strong start in Group F, beating Tunisia 4-0 in the 1,000th match in World Cup history. Daichi Kamada scored in the fourth minute, Ayase Ueda added two goals, and Junya Ito also scored. Japan now needs only one point against Sweden in the final group match to guarantee a knockout place. With the final round of group games approaching, several teams have already qualified while others still face decisive battles for the remaining spots.