The Netherlands delivered a statement performance in Houston, demolishing Sweden 5-1 with a pair of goals from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo to rocket to the top of Group F at the 2026 World Cup, Yankee Scores reports.
Still smarting from a 2-2 draw with Japan in which they lost a two-goal advantage, Ronald Koeman’s men made their intentions known early.
Brobbey opened the score in the fifth minute, smashing in a Gakpo cross and doubled their advantage in the 17th to leave the Dutch solidly in control before the break. Sweden had a goal called out for offside late in the first half but failed to control the Oranje’s onslaught otherwise.
WORLD CUP WIN! 😍#NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup #NEDSWE pic.twitter.com/npfnIKwi65
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 20, 2026
The Netherlands resumed after the break as they had left off. Gakpo knocked his first home in the 47th minute from an assist by Denzel Dumfries before drilling in a second in the 54th after superb work by Crysencio Summerville.
Anthony Elanga got one back for Sweden on the attack in the 59th minute but it did little to slow the Dutch assault.
Summerville put the finishing touches on the thrashing in the 89th minute to make it a 5-1 final scoreline with a lopsided expected-goals total of 2.47 to 0.98, Per ESPN
Netherlands become the eighth team to score over 100 #FIFAWorldCup goals 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/NArDMYGJ9l
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 20, 2026
The result is a major U-turn for Sweden. Graham Potter’s side had started the tournament with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia but the defeat by the Netherlands wiped out their goal difference totally making them the first team in World Cup history to win their opening by four goals then lose their second game by the same proportion.
The result puts the Netherlands in the driving seat of their own destiny ahead of a final group tie against Tunisia, while Sweden now face a stressful final encounter against Japan to book their place in the knockouts.
