Japan and Sweden Draw 1-1, Both Advance to World Cup Round of 32
Tokyo and Stockholm — Japan and Sweden played out a 1-1 draw in their final Group F match, a result that confirmed both teams' places in the Round of 32 at the World Cup. The match, held in Arlington, Texas, saw Daizen Maeda open the scoring for Japan before Anthony Elanga equalised for Sweden six minutes later.
Japan finished second in Group F with five points, setting up a last-32 meeting with five-time world champions Brazil in Houston on Monday. Sweden, who remain third in the group with four points, are set to advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups.
Both teams were already in strong positions to qualify before the match, but the result made it official. Japan's performance was marked by a difficult second half, with supporters praising the team's defensive resilience after Sweden applied significant pressure.
Key Moments
The match was relatively quiet in the first half, with the most notable chance coming moments before the interval. Keito Nakamura went closest to opening the scoring for Japan, hitting a low first-time strike from Maeda's layoff that forced Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom into a full-stretch save to push the ball around his left post.
Viktor Gyokeres then found space at the other end for Sweden, driving towards goal, but a deflection from Shogo Taniguchi looped his shot well wide of the target.
Japan came out for the second half with intent, with Ao Tanaka's wayward strike underlining that Hajime Moriyasu's side would not be content to sit back and take a point. The dynamism of their play was rewarded when Maeda applied the finishing touch to an exquisite team goal instigated by Ritsu Doan. The winger received a return pass from Ayase Ueda as he cut in from the right and slid the ball into the space for Maeda to convert.
Sweden responded quickly, with Elanga curling in a 62nd-minute equaliser to earn his side a share of the points. Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki also made several key saves throughout the match to keep his side in contention.
Fans Celebrate in Shibuya
Back in Japan, supporters packed sports bars and public viewing areas before flooding the famous Shibuya Crossing, waving flags and chanting after the final whistle. Police monitored the large crowds as fans celebrated the team's latest qualification.
The draw extended Japan's consistent World Cup record, marking a third consecutive appearance in the knockout stage and a fifth qualification from seven tournaments since reaching the last 16 as co-hosts in 2002.
Supporters praised the team's defensive resilience during the second half and expressed confidence that Japan could challenge Brazil in the next round.
Looking Ahead
Japan will now prepare for their Round of 32 clash against Brazil, a team that has recently shown strong form. Sweden, meanwhile, will wait to learn their opponent after the group stage concludes.