Early on June 21 (Vietnam time), the Netherlands secured a resounding 5-1 victory over Sweden at Houston's stadium in Texas, USA, in their second Group F match of the 2026 World Cup. The match showcased an outstanding performance from forward duo Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey, who each scored a brace.
This win lifted the Netherlands to the top of Group F with 4 points after two matches (following a 2-2 draw with Japan in their opener). Sweden sits second with 3 points, ahead of Japan (1 point) and Tunisia (0 points). Nearly 69,000 spectators in attendance witnessed an impressive attacking display from coach Ronald Koeman's squad.
In the 5th minute, Brobbey opened the scoring after a combination play with Gakpo. The Sunderland striker received a pass from the left flank from his Liverpool teammate and finished from close range. By the 17th minute, Brobbey completed his double, capitalizing on a deflected cross from Denzel Dumfries to slot the ball home.
Despite trailing, Sweden created several dangerous opportunities but failed to convert due to the excellence of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and their own inaccurate finishing. The highly touted attacking pair—Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)—were almost completely neutralized.
In the second half, Koeman brought on Crysencio Summerville to replace Donyell Malen. Just two minutes after the restart, Gakpo made it 3-0 following a pass from Dumfries on the right flank. In the 54th minute, Gakpo scored his second and made it 4-0 for the Netherlands with a curling shot into the far corner.
Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest) pulled one back for Sweden in the 59th minute, breaking away with pace and finishing across goal. However, Summerville sealed the 5-1 win for the Netherlands in the closing minutes, netting his second goal on North American soil.
Sweden still has hope of advancing, as they will face Japan in their final group match. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will take on Tunisia. In the other group fixture later that day, Japan and Tunisia will meet in Monterrey, Mexico.
