Maeda opens, Elanga levels: Japan-Sweden 1-1

In the final Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Japan and Sweden drew 1-1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. With this result both teams advanced to the round of 32: Japan finished second in the group on 5 points, while Sweden, reaching 4 points, secured third place and confirmed their progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

The first half was goalless and cautious. The standout development in this period was Sweden centre-back Isak Hien being injured in the 37th minute and replaced by Lucas Bergvall. Japan keeper Zion Suzuki protected his goal against Sweden's set-piece attacks to close the first 45 minutes goalless.

In the second half the game opened up and the goals came. Japan got the reward for their superior play with a silver pass: meeting Ritsu Doan's exquisite ball in behind the defence, Daizen Maeda finished coolly to put his side 1-0 up. But Sweden's response was not long in coming. Anthony Elanga, their most dangerous man all match, levelled at 1-1 with a strike that came through a crowd in front of goal, somewhere between a cross and a shot, beating Suzuki and bringing the game back level.

After the equaliser both teams pushed for a winner but the score did not change. Although Japan were the better side in possession and chance creation, the Swedish defence prevented a second goal. In the end, Japan finished second in the group, extending the unbeaten run in which they have beaten the likes of Brazil and England; Sweden, even without finding the win they sought with their Isak-and-Gyökeres attack, managed to advance in third. Both teams will face group winners in the next round.

Image: Opta Analyst