Van Dijk and Summerville twice put the Dutch ahead, but Japan’s resilience earns a deserved point in a dramatic Group F opener.
The Netherlands let a valuable victory slip away in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, settling for a 2-2 draw against a determined Japan side that found an equalizer just one minute from time.
Ronald Koeman’s team appeared on course for all three points after goals from Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville gave the Oranje the lead on two separate occasions. However, Japan responded each time, with Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada ensuring Hajime Moriyasu’s side walked away with a hard-earned point.
The result leaves both teams level on one point in Group F, with Sweden and Tunisia still to play the other opening match in the group.
The first half was competitive but lacked finishing quality. Donyell Malen came closest for the Netherlands early on, forcing an excellent save from Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Japan responded with dangerous opportunities of its own through Nakamura and Ayase Ueda, but neither side could find the breakthrough before halftime.
The match came alive after the restart.
The Netherlands opened the scoring in the 51st minute when Ryan Gravenberch delivered an excellent cross into the penalty area and captain Van Dijk powered a header beyond Suzuki to make it 1-0.
Japan’s response was immediate. Just six minutes later, Nakamura cut inside and fired a low shot that took a slight deflection off Daizen Maeda before beating Bart Verbruggen for the equalizer.
The Dutch regained control in the 64th minute through Summerville. The West Ham winger collected possession on the edge of the box and curled a precise left-footed effort into the corner, restoring the Oranje advantage at 2-1.
Koeman’s side looked increasingly comfortable as the match entered its final stages, but Japan continued to push forward in search of another breakthrough.
Their persistence paid off in the 89th minute. Koki Ogawa’s header created chaos inside the penalty area, and the ball deflected off former Lazio midfielder Kamada before finding its way past Verbruggen. The goalkeeper was unable to react in time as Japan celebrated a dramatic late equalizer.
The final whistle confirmed a result that felt like a defeat for the Netherlands and a victory for Japan. The Asian side once again demonstrated the resilience and organization that have become trademarks of its recent World Cup performances.
Match Report: Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Goals: 51′ Van Dijk (NED), 57′ Nakamura (JPN), 64′ Summerville (NED), 89′ Kamada (JPN)
Netherlands (4-3-3): Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch (81′ Aké), De Jong, Reijnders (70′ Q. Timber); Summerville (70′ Koopmeiners), Malen (70′ Depay), Gakpo (85′ Brobbey).
Head Coach: Ronald Koeman
Japan (3-4-2-1): Suzuki; Watanabe (75′ Tomiyasu), Taniguchi, H. Ito; Doan (75′ Sugawara), Kamada, Sano, Nakamura; Kubo (75′ Ogawa), Maeda (67′ J. Ito); Ueda (84′ Shiogai).
Head Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Yellow Cards: Summerville, Depay, Van de Ven
Red Cards: None
Venue: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group F
