Day 4 of 2026 World Cup: Netherlands Face Japan, Curacao Make Historic Debut

The fourth matchday of the 2026 World Cup promises plenty of excitement for fans. The standout event is the Group F showdown between the Netherlands and Japan, where the three-time World Cup runners-up take on one of Asia’s strongest teams.

On the same day, history will be made as Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever to compete in a World Cup. The Caribbean side will make their debut against Germany.

Ecuador, tipped as a dark horse of the tournament, also kicks off against Ivory Coast, while Sweden returns to the global stage after missing the previous World Cup to face Tunisia.

Four matches take place on Sunday (June 14): Germany vs. Curacao (12:00 local time, 17:00 GMT) at NRG Stadium, Houston; Netherlands vs. Japan (14:00 local, 20:00 GMT) at AT&T Stadium, Dallas; Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (19:00 local, 23:00 GMT) at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; Sweden vs. Tunisia (19:30 local, 02:00 GMT Sunday) at Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe.

Netherlands vs. Japan: A can’t-miss match

The clash between the Netherlands and Japan is one of five group-stage games rated as ‘must-watch’ by Al Jazeera. The Dutch, finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, begin their Group F campaign with an intriguing battle against Japan — a side that stunned both Germany and Spain in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.

After three final defeats, the Dutch are under internal pressure to go further. While the golden generation that won Euro 1988 never replicated that success on the global stage, the current squad under coach Ronald Koeman boasts enough talent and class — and for the first time, a realistic chance to lift the trophy away from home.

Koeman said: ‘We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We want to go far in the tournament. We have a strong team and we know what we need to improve to have a real chance. But we need to take it game by game, first Japan — a tough match.’

With standout players like Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay, Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands are a team to watch in the opening round of the expanded 48-team World Cup.

Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu acknowledged the scale of the challenge: ‘We have to survive this stage at all costs, but I see this as a very tough group. The highest level of talent is concentrated in the Dutch team.’

According to Opta’s supercomputer, the Netherlands have a 50.2% chance of winning the match, Japan 24.5%, and a draw 25.2%. Overall, the Dutch are the clear favorites in Group F with a 49.46% chance of topping the table.

Curacao makes history against German test

Curacao — the tiny island with just over 150,000 inhabitants and an area of 443 km² — becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. After a miraculous qualifying campaign, the Caribbean side arrive in North America as one of four debutants, facing a daunting opener against four-time world champions Germany.

Coach Dick Advocaat (78) will become the oldest coach in World Cup history. He said: ‘We are a small country compared to Germany, but we will make it difficult for them and be a tough team to play. We have nothing to lose. Expectations are not high from outside, but inside the squad, we think we can cause an upset.’

Statistics give Germany a 90.7% chance of winning, Curacao just 3.6%, with a draw at 5.7%.

Other matches

The Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador match is seen as balanced, with win probabilities of 37.5% and 35.2% respectively, and a 27.3% chance of a draw. In the Sweden vs. Tunisia game, Sweden are favorites with a 51.1% chance of victory, Tunisia 23.2%, and a draw 25.7%.

Basketball overshadows World Cup in New York

The World Cup officially kicked off in New York on Saturday with Brazil vs. Morocco in Group C, but the football atmosphere was eclipsed by the joy of basketball fans as the Knicks ended a 53-year curse to win the NBA championship. New York erupted with fireworks and cheers after a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals.