Netherlands and Japan will meet in their World Cup 2026 Group F opener on Sunday evening at the Dallas Stadium in Texas, United States. The match is scheduled to kick off at a time to be confirmed, with both teams aiming to start their campaign with a victory.
Ronald Koeman's Netherlands side enter the tournament as group favourites after an unbeaten qualifying campaign, winning six and drawing two of their eight matches. The Dutch have a strong World Cup pedigree, having finished runners-up three times, and have always advanced past the group stage. They reached the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022 and will be expected to progress again this year.
Japan, appearing in their eighth consecutive World Cup, topped their qualifying group ahead of Australia and Saudi Arabia. They are hoping to better their best-ever finish of reaching the round of 16. In Group F, they face competition from Sweden and Tunisia, but could also qualify as one of the best third-placed teams in the expanded 48-team tournament.
UK viewers can watch all 104 World Cup 2026 matches free-to-air on ITV and BBC. The Netherlands vs Japan match will be available on both channels, with live streaming via BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Radio coverage will be provided by talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 Live.
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