Japan vs Sweden
Japan and Sweden have one foot in the World Cup 2026 knockouts, as both nations are one win away from securing their spots in the Round of 32. And they will go all out when they clash at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday evening.
The Netherlands and Japan are at the top of Group F with four points each, while Sweden are third with three points and Tunisia are already eliminated after back-to-back losses. With the Netherlands expected to make light work of Tunisia, the winner of the Japan-Sweden contest will join the Oranje in the Top 2 to directly progress to the next round.
The Oranje and Samurai Blue have been two of the highest-scoring teams in the tournament thus far, so fans in Arlington could be in for a huge treat this midweek. Learn more about these two teams in today’s SBOTOP preview.
Talking Points
Kamada spearheading Japan’s charge
Japanese fans were worried heading into the World Cup, as some of their best players suffered untimely injuries before the tournament started, with Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma, and Wataru Endo being the Samurai Blue’s key casualties.
However, Hajime Moriyasu’s men haven’t skipped a beat so far, thanks to Daichi Kamada’s leadership. The Crystal Palace midfielder has scored in the team’s first two Group F matches – recording the late equaliser against the Netherlands and drawing first blood against Tunisia last weekend to open the floodgates.
Kamada is operating as a box-to-box midfielder in Moriyasu’s 3-4-3 formation, with Ao Tanaka as his partner in the middle. Ritsu Doan and Keito Nakamura provide the width as wing-backs, with Ayase Ueda as their No. 9.
Another player who deserves a shoutout is their goalkeeper, Zion Suzuki. The Parma shot-stopper has been superb this World Cup, despite a relatively weaker back three (Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, and Takehiro Tomiyasu) in front of him.
Japan will be boosted by the impending return of Takefusa Kubo, who is reportedly recovering well from his knee injury. However, the Real Sociedad winger won’t be available against Sweden.
Isak rounding into form for Sweden
Sweden will continue to rely on Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, and the striker duo showed a glimpse of their full potential during their opener against Tunisia. In the said game, Isak had three goal involvements (one goal, two assists), while Gyokeres had two goal involvements (one goal, one assist).
During their 5-1 loss to the Netherlands, Isak teed up Anthony Elanga for their only goal of the contest. By doing so, the 26-year-old forward is now the tournament’s joint-top playmaker with three assists, level with France’s Michael Olise.
Liverpool fans are liking this for Isak, especially since his debut campaign with the Reds didn’t exactly go as expected due to injuries. As long as he stays healthy, Isak should remain a top threat in the final third.
History
Japan and Sweden have faced off four times before in international friendlies, but never in a tournament. The Samurai Blue are undefeated in three games against the Blue and Yellow, but all of them were draws, and the latter won once against the former in February 1997 (1-0). These two nations last squared off in a 1-1 draw in May 2002.
After winning 5-1 in the opening match against Tunisia, Sweden had the same scoreline (in reverse) against the Netherlands. Graham Potter’s side plans to avoid becoming the second team after Hungary to fail to progress from the group stage after winning their opening match by at least four goals, following their 10-1 rout of El Salvador in 1982.
In terms of recent form, Japan are undefeated in their last five (W4, D1), while Sweden have won only two matches in the same period (D1, L2).
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds give Japan the edge against Sweden on Thursday. The Samurai Blue are 1.94 favourites to take three points and move on to the Round of 32, whereas the Blue and Yellow are at 3.75, and a draw is valued at 3.57 in the 1X2 market. However, this could be closer than most would think.
As mentioned, we can expect numerous new World Cup 2026 highlights from these two sides, given their collective star power. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.50 at 1.79, Over 2.75 at 2.00, and Total Goal 4-6 at 3.04 to the parlay. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of two of their last three encounters – yields a tidy payout of 6.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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