2026 World Cup: Japan vs. Sweden, Probable Lineups
At the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a crucial match for the final standings in Group F of the 2026 World Cup will take place. At 1 a.m. Italian time on the night between Thursday and Friday (6:00 p.m. local time on June 25), Japan and Sweden will face off simultaneously with the Netherlands vs. Tunisia to determine who will advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup.
The Japanese national team, led by Hajime Moriyasu, heads into its final match in top form. After snatching a dramatic 2-2 draw at the last minute against the Netherlands in their opener, the Samurai Blue literally swept aside Tunisia with a resounding 4-0 victory in the 1,000th match in the nearly century-long history of the World Cup. Japan needs just one point to mathematically secure a spot in the Round of 16, but the stated goal is a victory to snatch first place in the group from the Oranje.
However, the Japanese head coach must contend with several absences. Already without Endo and Minamino, who were injured before the final roster was announced, Moriyasu will be without his brightest star for this match: Takefusa Kubo has been sidelined with a sprained left knee and will miss the game. In front of Zion Suzuki, the defensive line will be led by Itakura, with Tomiyasu and Ito on either side of him. The midfield will revolve entirely around Daichi Kamada, who has already scored two goals in the tournament, as he supports striker Ayase Ueda in Japan’s tried-and-true 4-3-3 formation.
In the Swedish camp, the atmosphere is decidedly more tense. After a promising start against Tunisia (a decisive 5-1 victory), the Scandinavians crumbled under pressure from the Netherlands, this time finding themselves on the wrong end of a 5-1 result—a outcome that has set off alarm bells in the back line. Head coach Graham Potter is now forced to win to ensure his team advances to the next round without having to rely on calculations involving the best third-place finishers.
Tactically, the Swedes are expected to stick with the three-man defense they deployed in their last match, working to fine-tune their tactics to contain the Japanese team’s lightning-fast transitions. Hien and Lindelof are locks in the backline, and there are no doubts about the lineup from midfield onward: Sweden’s hopes of qualifying rest on the physicality and talent of the attacking duo of Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, supported in midfield by the freshness of young Lucas Bergvall and the playmaking of Karlstrom.
Probable Lineups
JAPAN (3-4-3): Suzuki; Tomiyasu, Itakura, Ito; Doan, Sano, Tanaka, Nakamura; Ito, Kamada, Ueda. Head Coach: Moriyasu.
SWEDEN (3-5-2): Nordfeldt; Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelof; Elanga, Bergvall, Karlstrom, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Gyökeres, Isak. Head Coach: Potter.
