Japan Reiterate Goal to Win 2026 World Cup, Match Against Sweden Will Be Exciting

Daichi Kamada scored an important goal in Japan's first two matches at the 2026 World Cup (Instagram/@japanfootballassociation).

JAKARTA - Japan has received a lot of praise in the opening match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup. They twice came back from behind and drew 2-2 against the Netherlands with a dramatic equalizer in the 89th minute.

Last week, they confirmed that performance with a crushing 4-0 win over Tunisia, perhaps for the first time in their history at this tournament, displaying a performance that befitted their status as the favourites in the match.

The four points are indeed not enough to secure qualification for the last 32. However, the Blue Samurai can secure their place in the knockout phase against Sweden on Friday, June 26, 2026, early morning WIB.

A result other than defeat will see Japan advance to the knockout stages. They may even finish first with a win, while a draw will ensure at least a top two finish.

In both scenarios, they don't have to wait until the end of the group stage this weekend to find out if they're really going to advance or not.

However, this is not just a team that wants to be a complement in the last 32, or even qualify for the last 16.

Japan has been very vocal about their presence to win the 2026 World Cup even though the target set by the Japan Football Association (JFA) is the 2050 World Cup champion or still 24 years later.

This target has been reiterated by midfielder Daichi Kamada, who told ESPN after the victory over Tunisia.

"These three points (against Tunisia) are very important for us. We really need three points from this match. We are not qualified, (either in) first, second or third place."

"However, today, (we can say) we have achieved (something). We really want to win this World Cup. I hope I can help the team more," Kamada told ESPN.

So far, Japan has not only talked. In the historic 1,000th match at the World Cup, they made history at the Estadio BBVA.

With a landslide 4-0 victory over Tunisia, Japan surpassed the previous record of a two-goal victory in this tournament and is the biggest victory ever recorded by an Asian country.

Perhaps more important than the four-goal victory was the manner in which it was achieved. Japan dominated from start to finish and fulfilled the heightened expectations for a team that has not been ranked in the world's top 20 since late 2022.

Draw results against higher-ranked opponents and crushing teams they should have been able to beat easily on paper are par for the course when compared to their lofty ambitions.

They will continue their real action against Sweden. It will be interesting to see how the Japanese coach, Hajime Moriyasu, faces this match.

Sweden are not the Netherlands, at least not based on Sweden's humiliating defeat to the Netherlands 1-5. Nevertheless, they will probably provide a more difficult test than Tunisia.

Despite their poor performance against the Netherlands, Sweden's quality is undeniable. Two top-class strikers, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, as well as a supporting team that is more than capable of including Lucas Bergvall, Anthony Elanga, and Yasin Ayari, who all play for leading English League clubs.

They will be a much bigger threat than Tunisia. If Japan are the champions they want to be, then Moriyasu still has to approach this game as if they are the favourites.

They need to get back to taking risks and showing that they have plenty of attacking power in the opposition half despite the absence of Kaoru Mitoma and Takumi Minamino, as well as the absence of Takefusa Kubo due to injury - who is expected to miss the second consecutive match.

However, Japan is not just a team. There are also achievements that equalize records at the individual level.

Ayase Ueda, who just finished the season by scoring many goals in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord, stood out with two goals and one assist against Tunisia.

Kamada has also scored two goals at the 2026 World Cup. Another goal came when he dramatically equalised in the opening match which ended in a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands.

With that collection, Kamada matched the most goals scored by a Japanese player in a World Cup - following in the footsteps of Junichi Inamoto (2002), Keisuke Honda (2010), and Ritsu Doan (2022). Meanwhile, Ayase Ueda matched the number with two goals against Tunisia.

Kamada and Ueda can now set a new record if they score again against Sweden.

For Kamada, a strong start at the 2026 World Cup has provided a kind of redemption given that he feels his performance was nowhere near his best in 2022.

"To be honest, (in) the last World Cup in Qatar, my performance was not (good), enough. In the 2026 World Cup, I am very motivated."

"I have been training a lot (in) the last four years since the 2022 World Cup. Fortunately, I have scored two goals and I have helped the team, but I hope to help the team even more," said the Crystal Palace midfielder.

Meanwhile, after Japan's draw against the Netherlands, Kamada became a kind of meme on social media because he didn't realize his important goal - when Koki Ogawa's header from the corner floated over his head before passing Bart Verbruggen.

After the Tunisia game, he also didn't have much time to react when Keito Nakamura got past him on the left side and sent a cross into the box - where the ball hit Kamada's heel before nestling in the net.

"My first goal (against the Netherlands) was really very lucky. I really wanted to score again. Today I scored a regular goal, so it's good for me," said Kamada, while grinning a little.

The Blue Samurai hope to take advantage of the condition of the Swedish team, which is still reeling after being crushed by the Netherlands.

The last 32 are already in sight for Japan. It's just a matter of how they get there. A draw would probably see them finish in second place, but potentially face five-time champions Brazil in Houston on June 29, 2026.

However, victory will further increase their credibility as a true World Cup candidate. Then, maybe, whoever their next opponent is won't matter.