Japan put together the most overpowering performance in the 2026 World Cup group stage so far, thrashing Tunisia 4-0 at Estadio Monterrey, Yankee Scores reports
This result takes Japan closer to guaranteeing their position in the knockout rounds and knocking Tunisia out of the competition.
In the fourth minute Keito Nakamura danced into the box and crossed the ball across goal for Daichi Kamada to finish from close range.
@FIFAWorldCup#最高の景色を #SAMURAIBLUE pic.twitter.com/tDXdX6G7bS
— サッカー日本代表 (@jfa_samuraiblue) June 21, 2026
Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen kept the score reasonable for a stretch, heroically clawing a point-blank Takehiro Tomiyasu effort off the line, but had no answer for Ayase Ueda’s breathtaking 18-yard strike in the 31st minute that curled into the bottom corner.
Junya Ito made it 3-0 with a cool finish past Dahmen in the 69th, before Ueda scored unmarked with a looping header from a Kaishu Sano cross with seven minutes remaining to make it 4-0.
ESPN reports that this victory made Japan the first AFC country to score four goals in a World Cup match and gave them the highest margin of victory by an Asian side in the tournament to date.
Joy for Japan! #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 21, 2026
Japan also went ahead of Sweden into second spot in Group F. It was a disaster for Tunisia, on top of a challenging enough tournament.
The North Africans had only two shots in the encounter and are bottom of the group, eliminated after two heavy defeats. New boss Herve Renard, who replaced Sabri Lamouchi midway through the tournament after the opening-day setback led to his sacking, has been unable to stem the decline.
Japan will finish group play against Sweden, and Tunisia will play out their final encounter against the Netherlands as a dead rubber for pride.
