Dejected Tunisians after the embarrassing result. (Picture credit: Reuters)
* The result marked a losing start for new Tunisia manager Herve Renard, who was hastily appointed to take over the World Cup campaign after predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following the wake of the Sweden 5-1 drubbing
Maravi Express
Tunisia have existed from the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 after losing their two Group F — 1-5 against Sweden in the first and 0-4 to Japan in the second this morning.
Forward Ayase Ueda scored two goals — one in each half. (Picture credit: AFP)
And in Group E, Côte d’Ivoire lost 1-2 to Germany but can still progress to the Last 32 if they win their final game against debutants Curaçao, who share one point each with Ecuador, whom they drew 0-0.
In the game that marked Japan’s 1,000th in the history of the FIFA World Cup, Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as the Asian giants joined The Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.
The Blue Samurai, who held The Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in their Group F opener, were always in control against Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium.
The result marked a losing start for new Tunisia manager Herve Renard, who was hastily appointed to take over the World Cup campaign after predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following the wake of the Sweden drubbing.
Coach Herve Renard reacts. (Picture credit: Reuters)
But Renard’s team never looked like threatening a technically superior Japanese side that went quickly into their trademark smooth passing game.
Japan’s midfielder Daichi Kamada celebrates the first goal. (Picture credit: AFP)
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after just four minutes, finishing from close range after deft interplay from Ao Tanaka and Keito Nakamura.
The Japanese almost scored again moments later, with only a desperate goal-line clearance from Dylan Bronn denying the Asian giants a second goal.
Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen was also working overtime, and had to claw away a shot that went agonisingly short of crossing the goal line.
Japan, though, finally added to their tally in the 31st minute, with striker Ueda taking advantage of some hesitant Tunisian defending to surge forward and thunder a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
The rout continued in the second half, with Junya Ito latching onto a brilliant through ball to calmly finish on 69 minutes before Ueda scored again with a looping header in the 83rd minute.
Japan’s Junya Ito celebrates scoring their third goal with Ayase Ueda (left) and Daichi Kamada. (Picture credit: Reuters)
In Toronto, it took up to the 90+4th minute for Germany to claim the winner through substitute Deniz Undav, who completed his side’s stunning comeback win against Côte d’Ivoire to book their place in the knockout stages.
The four-time winners endured a frustrating outing after going behind to a 30th-minute goal from Côte d’Ivoire captain Franck Kessie but coach Julian Nagelsmann turned to his bench in search of a response — and Undav delivered emphatically with a second-half double.
Undav to the rescue. (Pictures credit: Reuters)
The Stuttgart forward applied a smart finish to fellow substitute Nadiem Amiri’s cross to break Côte d’Ivoire’s resistance in the 68th minute before scoring the winner in the 94th minute to inflict a painful defeat on the African nation.
Emerse Fae’s Côte d’Ivoire impressed with their energy and directness early on but it was Germany who carved out the clearer of chances.
The Germans had the ball in the back of net in the 22nd minute through Aleksandar Pavlovic but his header from a corner was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
Côte d’Ivoire then took the lead as their exciting 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande found Amad Diallo, whose close-range effort was blocked by Nathaniel Brown only for Kessie to convert the rebound.
Germany’s frustration grew as Havertz had a goal disallowed for a foul on Emmanuel Agbadou by Jamal Musiala in the build-up while an unmarked Christ Inao Oulai and Kessie spurned chances to double the Ivorians’ lead.
Those misses ultimately proved costly as they were undone by the injury-time winner from Undav. Goalkeeper Fofana had kept out efforts from Brown and Amiri late on but there was nothing he could do as Undav expertly trapped a pass from Felix Nmecha and slotted past the goalkeeper on the turn to break the Ivorian hearts in the dying seconds.
In Kansas City, goalkeeper Eloy Room was Curaçao’s hero against Ecuador, keeping out a barrage of shots to help the tiny Caribbean nation claim their first-ever World Cup point in a goalless draw that keeps alive their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.
Curaçao’s Eloy Room made 15 saves in the match against Ecuador. (Picture credit: Reuters)
Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 on target, but goalkeeper Room stood firm in an astonishing display.
His 15 saves are the most on record, since 1966, by any goalkeeper in a World Cup match that did not feature extra time — and while World Cup debutants, the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the tournament, slumped to a 7-1 defeat against Germany in their opening match — they have restored pride in the American Midwest.
Ecuador fans turned the Arrowhead Stadium, the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs, yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curaçao.
But Curaçao had royalty on their side in the form of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Curacao fans celebrate after the match. (Picture credit: Reuters)
Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in The Netherlands, and most play their football there.
The match started at a fizzing pace. Ecuador seemed certain to open the scoring in the third minute when former West Ham forward Enner Valencia burst through the middle, but Room tipped the ball around the post.
Sherel Floranus fired over at the other end as Curaçao showed their pace on the break while Valencia failed to beat Room from close range before Jordy Alcivar had an effort as Ecuador continued to dominate possession.
The South American team ended the first half with 65% of possession but nothing to show for their dominance. They went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark, but Room kept out a Gonzalo Plata header, before a flurry of Curaçao chances.
Ecuador’s Enner Valencia heads towards the goal as Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room defends. (Picture credit: AP)
Ecuador, more than 50 places higher than Curacao in the FIFA rankings, looked increasingly frazzled as they pressed for a goal and as the match neared its end, chances continued to come thick and fast, but Room stood firm.
The Curaçao players swarmed around Room at the end of the match, celebrating an extraordinary point ahead of their last FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Germany on Thursday.
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curaçao
Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Tunisia 0-4 Japan
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden
Group G
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Group H
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Group I
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
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