2026 World Cup: Japan snatches last-minute draw; Netherlands come back twice

The first Group F match of the World Cup ends in a 2-2 draw, following a game of two halves. After a scoreless first half, the action heated up in the second: Van Dijk broke the deadlock with a header, but the response was immediate as Nakamura equalized, aided by a deflection off Maeda.

The Oranje regained the lead through Summerville, who seemed to have sealed the match, but in the 89th minute came the cruel twist: another header by Maeda was deflected one last time by Kamada, with Verbruggen not at his best on the occasion.

In Sunday’s first match, Germany dominated Curaçao with a resounding 7-1 victory, led by Havertz’s brace and goals from Nmecha, Schlotterbeck, Musiala, Brown, and Undav. After Germany’s early lead, Advocaat’s side tied the game at 1-1 in the 21st minute thanks to Comenencia. In the second half, the Mannschaft came out strong right away: in the 47th minute, Kimmich set up Musiala on the right flank, and the midfielder finished with a powerful low diagonal shot that found the corner for a 4-1 lead. In the 68th minute, the fifth goal arrived, with Undav laying the ball off for Brown, who controlled it well and beat the goalkeeper with a right-footed volley.

Ten minutes later, Undav was in the spotlight again: Havertz found Kimmich at the far post, and the Bayern midfielder crossed it back to the German striker, who tapped it in from close range to make it 6-1. A Caribbean defender’s attempt to clear the ball off the line was in vain, as the ball crossed the goal line anyway. In the 88th minute, Germany put the game to bed: Undav rewarded Havertz’s run with a low through ball, and the forward beat the goalkeeper with an elegant chip, scoring his second goal of the match and setting the final score at 7-1.