Japan to face Brazil, Sweden through to World Cup round of 32 after entertaining draw
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Anthony Elanga celebrates his equaliser for Sweden Paul Ellis via Getty Images
By Michael Cox and Patrick IversenJune 25, 2026 Updated 9:45 pm EDTJapan will face Brazil in the round of 32 in Houston on Monday June 29 while Sweden progressed to the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams after the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Dallas.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side opened the scoring with a brilliant team effort in the 56th minute, ending with Daizen Maeda slotting home after a probing ball from Ritsu Doan into the Celtic forward’s feet.
But Graham Potter’s team struck back through Anthony Elanga in the 62nd minute, cutting onto his left and sending a thunderbolt of a shot past Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Sweden had opportunities to win the game and finish second, with Suzuki denying Elanga a second in the 93rd minute and then producing a fine save from an Alexander Isak header from a corner a minute later.
Ultimately, however, the draw left both sides happy.
Michael Cox and Patrick Iversen analyse the key talking points.
Who will the teams in group F face next?
Netherlands are through after topping the group and will play Morocco in Monterrey on Monday in the round of 32. The winners of that game will play their round of 16 game in Houston on July 4 against the winners of South Africa vs Canada.
Japan finished second and will play Brazil on Monday in Houston. Should they pull off a surprise and win, then they will face the winners of Ivory Coast against either France or Norway in New York on July 5.
Sweden finished third and The Athletic’s projection tool calculates they will most likely face the winners of Group I (again either France or Norway) in New York on Tuesday. There is also a possibility (26 per cent) they could play Germany on Boston on Monday. Both paths take them to a round of 16 game in Philadelphia on July 4.
Tunisia finished bottom of the group after losing all three of their games.
A team goal to remember
Before the match, Potter warned against focusing on individual match-ups.
“It’s not about talking about individuals,” he said. “The Japanese team… It’s more a collective threat, a collective attack, a collective defence.”
That collective threat was on full display for Maeda’s opening goal. When Yukinari Sugawara initially played the ball into Ritsu Doan, you’d be hard-pressed to imagine where a goal might come from. Doan and Ayase Ueda were the only two Japan players in a sea of yellow shirts.
Sweden had successfully stifled Japan all game by dropping their wingers back, but this time, Japan’s chemistry cracked the code.
As Doan and Ueda drew the defenders’ eyes, Alexander Bernhardsson took a step back, and Maeda capitalised, darting into the gap between Bernhardsson and Gustaf Lagerbielke. Japan finally had a man free.
The ensuing pass sequence was lethal. Doan laid off Sugawara’s pass to Ueda and immediately spun around his defender. Ueda dropped a one-touch pass back to his captain, who threaded a perfect ball through to the breaking Maeda for the finish.
The sequence looked meticulously practiced. But it’s just as believable that it was pure instinct. That is exactly what Potter praised: a team who have played together for years, using their continuity and familiarity to escape tight spots and dismantle opposition defences.
When it comes together like it did for Maeda’s goal, it is a joy to watch.
Patrick Iversen
Elanga rises to the occasion for Sweden
Where did that come from?
Some long-range thunderbolts you can see coming from a few seconds beforehand — a midfielder taking an extra touch and steadying himself, or a ball rolling invitingly towards a defender — but Anthony Elanga’s sensational equaliser came out of absolutely nothing.
Cutting inside onto his weaker left foot, the Newcastle United winger unleashed a fizzing drive that seemed to surprise Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki with its flatness — it passed the Japan defence at head height and seemingly left him unsighted.
This was Elanga’s first World Cup start, after he was Sweden’s brightest player in the second half of the 5-1 loss to the Netherlands as a substitute, grabbing their consolation goal.
It was a very different strike, with the winger running in behind to finish. Elanga is amongst the quickest players at this World Cup, and he was clearly considered the main attacking threat by Japan, who three times fouled him in the first half without any further punishment from the referee.
It remains to be seen whether Elanga starts Sweden’s next game. Potter’s switch to 3-4-3 here seemed to be about matching Japan as much as his own side’s preferences. If he decides to use only two attackers next time out, Elanga could miss out. That said, he has been used in a front two to good effect beforehand, including in Sweden’s play-off victories against Ukraine and Poland, when he played alongside Viktor Gyokeres with Alexander Isak out injured.
But would Potter drop either of his two big-name No9s?
Michael Cox
Why Brazil won’t relish facing Japan
A 48-team World Cup is fundamentally unfair. Some group runners-up will face other group runners-up in the first knockout round, while some runners-up have to face group winners. Japan are in the latter category, and have the somewhat unenviable task of facing Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history with five titles.
But Japan are a more cohesive side than Brazil. Whereas Carlo Ancelotti has constantly tinkered to find the right balance, and Brazil looked poor in their only serious test so far, a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Japan know what they’re all about.
(Tullio Puglia – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)They play 3-4-3. The inside forwards are excellent at creating space for the wing-backs — who can cut inside dangerously to shoot — and are also able to go in behind the striker coming deep. Their midfielders can control the game. Defensively, they have conceded few chances.
Japan also have the benefit of staying in Texas, as that round of 32 match will be in Houston. They are likely to have a serious number of supporters in attendance — having played two matches in Dallas, many of their fans have based themselves here and seem to be loving their time in Texas, particularly their interactions with the many Mexican fans in attendance.
This is a clash between two sides who wouldn’t look out of place in the quarter-finals.
No-one wants to face Brazil. But no-one wants to face Japan in the round of 32 either.
Michael Cox
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