Matchday 10 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup started a rampant Netherlands thrashing Sweden 5-1 before Germany secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Ivory Coast.
Then minnow Curacao sealed an emotional 0-0 draw against Ecuador, with goalkeeper Eloy Room making a remarkable 15 saves and boosting Australia’s hopes of making the knockouts in the process, before Japan smashed Tunisia 4-0 to move into equal-first in Group F.
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MATCH CENTRE: Netherlands defeat Sweden 5-1
MATCH CENTRE: Germany defeat Ivory Coast 2-1
MATCH CENTRE: Ecuador draw with Curacao 0-0
MATCH CENTRE: Tunisia def by Japan 4-0
KEEPER’S 15-SAVE MIRACLE AS CURACAO MAKE WC HISTORY
Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room was the hero against Ecuador on Saturday, keeping out a barrage of shots to help the tiny Caribbean nation claim their first ever World Cup point in a goalless draw that keeps alive their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.
Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 on target but Room stood firm in an astonishing display in Kansas City.
His 15 saves are the most on record, since 1966, by any goalkeeper a World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.
World Cup debutants Curacao, the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the tournaments, slumped to a 7-1 defeat against Germany in their opening match but restored pride in the American Midwest.
Ecuador fans turned the Arrowhead Stadium, the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs, yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curacao.
But Curacao had royalty on their side in the form of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in the Netherlands, and most play their football there.
The match started at a fizzing pace.
Ecuador seemed certain to open the scoring in the third minute when former West Ham forward Enner Valencia burst through the middle but Room tipped the ball around the post.
Sherel Floranus fired over at the other end as Curacao showed their pace on the break.
Valencia failed to beat Room from close range before Jordy Alcivar had an effort as Ecuador continued to dominate possession.
The South American team ended the first half with 65 percent of possession but nothing to show for their dominance.
They went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark but Room kept out a Gonzala Plata header, before a flurry of Curacao chances.
Ecuador, more than 50 places higher than Curacao in the FIFA rankings, looked increasingly frazzled as they pressed for a goal.
As the match neared its end, chances continued to come thick and fast but Room stood firm.
Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado mishit a cross that bounced off the top of the crossbar and went behind.
The Curacao players swarmed around Room at the end of the match, celebrating an extraordinary point.
Earlier, four-time champions Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto, ensuring their qualification for the round of 32. Curacao’s draw ensures Germany will top the group.
Ecuador will play Germany on Thursday while Curacao take on Ivory Coast.
JAPAN FORCES FINAL DAY DECIDER
Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday to close in on a place in the last 32.
Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as the Asian giants joined the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.
Both nations are level on goal difference meaning if both teams win, whoever wins by more on the final matchday (Japan vs Sweden, Netherlands vs Tunisia) will claim the group.
However the winner and runner-up from the group are likely to face Morocco and Brazil, respectively, in the round of 32 meaning there are no easy options.
Tunisia, who were thumped 5-1 by Sweden in their first game of the tournament, can no longer hope for a place in the knockout rounds.
The Blue Samurai, who held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in their Group F opener, were always in control against Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium.
The result marked a losing start for new Tunisia manager Herve Renard, who was hastily appointed to take over the World Cup campaign after predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked in the wake of the Sweden drubbing.
But Renard’s team never looked like threatening a technically superior Japanese side that were quickly into their trademark, smooth passing game.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after just four minutes, finishing from close range after deft interplay from Ao Tanaka and Keito Nakamura.
The Japanese almost scored again moments later, with only a desperate goalline clearance from Dylan Bronn denying the Asian giants a second goal.
Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen was also working overtime, and had to claw away a shot that just went agonisingly short of crossing the goalline.
Japan though finally added to their tally in the 31st minute, with striker Ueda taking advantage of some hesitant Tunisian defending to surge forward and thunder a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
The rout continued in the second half, with Junya Ito latching onto a brilliant through ball to calmly finish on 69 minutes before Ueda scored again with a looping header in the 83rd minute.
GERMANY’S 12-YEAR FIRST AFTER COMEBACK WIN
Germany reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014 with a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice, including the crucial goal four minutes into injury time, triggering a massive roar from the overwhelmingly pro-German crowd of 43,000 in Toronto.
Germany had not advanced from the group stage since winning the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and coach Julian Nagelsmann had been under huge pressure to make that breakthrough.
A first-half goal by Franck Kessie gave the Ivorians a 30th-minute lead. Kessie turned in from close range following strong work by teenage Ivorian phenomenon Yan Diomande, who is in the sights of some of Europe’s top clubs, including Liverpool.
The Germans thought they had found the net twice in the first half. Nathaniel Brown’s corner in the 21st minute was knocked into the goal by Aleksandar Pavlovic, but Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benitez immediately called it back – charging Pavlovic with fouling Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
Then, in the 38th minute, German forward and Arsenal star Kai Havertz had the ball in the net, but it was disallowed because of a foul by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
When the second half began, the Germans applied relentless pressure. The vaunted Ivorian defence held firm till the 68th minute, but ultimately the Germans broke through.
Undav, of VfB Stuttgart, volleyed in a cross by Nadiem Amiri in the 63rd minute. His second sent Nagelsmann and the German crowd into a frenzy as the Germans snapped a string of disappointments at the last two World Cups.
“Winning mentality, team spirit – we had exactly what you need to be successful in a tournament,” Germany defender Jonathan Tah told MagentaTV.
“We never gave up, we kept going no matter what. The guys coming off the bench brought energy. Deniz deserves a special mention, outstanding!”
The Ivorians have never advanced at a World Cup, but may still move on with a win over debutants Curacao in their final group stage match.
SACKED CHELSEA BOSS’ FRESH REALITY CHECK IN STUNNING ROUT
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston.
The big win in front of nearly 69,000 put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them liftoff after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (none).
Despite the sobering loss the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.
They are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32. Japan and Tunisia play later Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico.
Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutes.
Before that the 24-year-old had scored only once for his country since making his debut three years ago.
In a game full of top Premier League talent, Liverpool’s Gakpo — who set Brobbey up for the opener — scored twice early in the second half.
Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish.
Crysencio Summerville had the last word for the five-star Dutch. Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston’s place as the home of space flight.
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The Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.
Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.
It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.
Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.
Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, could not handle Brobbey’s muscular presence.
Up front the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.
Twelve minutes after his opener Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Sweden’s English coach Graham Potter was in deep discussions with his backroom staff as the game threatened to run away from them.
At the unpopular hydration break Potter made a beeline for left-sided defender Gabriel Gudmundsson of Leeds United, who was being overrun by the flying Dumfries and Donyell Malen.
Sweden then had their best chance, Gyokeres crossing for an unmarked Yasin Ayari who completely miscontrolled the ball with his chest.
Gyokeres was next to fluff a good chance, failing to make proper contact after being played in by the largely anonymous Isak.
Gyokeres and Ayari twice both had further sights of goal, only to be denied by the increasingly overworked Verbruggen.
The Netherlands were hanging on by end of the half.
Koeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break, and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden, Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.
All three goals were strikingly similar.
Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.
Nottingham Forest winger Elanga pulled one back five minutes later when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.
West Ham’s Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.
Sweden face Japan next while the Netherlands play Tunisia.