The Netherlands can wrap up Group F on Friday night in Kansas City. A win over an already eliminated Tunisia side does it. But don’t let the standings fool you — there’s still some tension here.
Ronald Koeman’s team sits on four points. So does Japan. Same goal difference. Same head-to-head result. The only thing separating them is goals scored, where the Dutch have a one-goal edge. If Japan beats Sweden at the same time, the Netherlands needs to win by a bigger margin than Japan does. Simple enough. Unless Koeman’s side leaves the door open again.
Tunisia is already packing up. Two games, two losses, nine goals conceded, zero scored. They fired Sabri Lamouchi after the Sweden game, brought in Hervé Renard, and promptly lost 4-0 to Japan. Their expected goal total in that match was 0.05. They didn’t put a single shot on target. This is a team that might become the first in World Cup history to give up four or more goals in three straight matches.
There’s not much Renard can do with the squad he’s got. He’ll stick with the 3-4-2-1 shape. Hannibal Mejbri and Elias Saad will float behind Sebastian Tounekti up top. Ellyes Skhiri sits in midfield. Yan Valery and Ali Abdi provide width as wing-backs. The only real goal left is to not get embarrassed again.
The Dutch have been a split personality so far. They blew a lead twice against Japan and conceded in the 89th minute to settle for a 2-2 draw. Then they turned around and hammered Sweden 5-1. Brian Brobbey scored twice in that one. Cody Gakpo added two more. That win extended the Netherlands’ World Cup unbeaten run to 14 matches, which is a record for the men’s tournament.
But here’s the thing: they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 2026. They’ve conceded in six straight internationals. That’s not great for a team with real ambitions in the knockout rounds.
Koeman has some personnel headaches. Brobbey is dealing with a hamstring issue. Crysencio Summerville took a head knock against Sweden. Frenkie de Jong is managing a knee problem. Quinten Timber missed the Sweden game with a concussion but could be back. The back four should stay the same.
If the Dutch play like they did against Sweden, this one could get ugly early. If they play like they did against Japan, Tunisia might actually have a chance to leave with something. And that’s about the only storyline left for this group.
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