Japan draws with Sweden 1-1 to secure place in next round

Japan drew with Sweden 1-1 on Thursday in their final Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Dallas Stadium in the US to secure their place in the next round.

While the first half was stagnant, Japan was the side that in particular improved as it went on and looked the more likely to break the deadlock.

Going into the second half, the Japanese momentum building over the first half clearly showed, as they managed to find their opener in the 56th minute with Daizen Maeda to upset Sweden.

However, the Swedish response did not take long. Anthony Elanga, scoring for a second straight match, leveled the game in the 62nd minute with an unstoppable effort that moved past Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Both sides shored up their offensive lines to try to get a lead over the other, but the stalemate continued. The tempo of the game slowly came to a lull and neither side managed to get the upper hand.

As a result of the game, Japan finished Group F in second place, securing their place past the group stage, while Sweden finished third and is also expected to advance as part of the best third teams within current rankings.

Japan is set to play Brazil, while as things stand, Sweden is set to face France in the Round of 32.