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Tunisia vs. Japan—World Cup: Live Score and Match Stats

The 36th game of the 2026 World Cup will emanate from Monterrey in Mexico.
Toby Cudworth|
Japan go into the game as strong favorites.
Japan go into the game as strong favorites. | Visionhaus/Getty Images, Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty Images

Japan’s fightback against the Netherlands in its first 2026 World Cup game has raised hopes of a deep run to the knockout stages.

The Dutch were statistically the better team for much of the context, but the spirit and determination shown by Japan meant its equalizer was well deserved. The draw ended a run of six consecutive wins, but did stretch its unbeaten run to eight games while providing a huge confidence boost ahead of facing Tunisia.

Sweden thumped Tunisia 5–1 in the pair’s Group F encounter, prompting Sabri Lamouchi to be fired as manager. It marked the second game in a row that Tunisia had conceded five—Belgium scored in the same amount in the country’s final pre-tournament friendly—and new boss Hervé Renard must find a different attacking tune after Tunisia mustered just an xG (expected goals) of 0.28 against Sweden.

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Toby Cudworth
TOBY CUDWORTH

Toby Cudworth is Lead Editor for SI FC. A Premier League, EFL and UEFA accredited journalist, Cudworth is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, where he studied Broadcast Journalism. He previously worked for 90min as a writer, academy manager, editor and eventually content lead, before joining Sports Illustrated in May 2025. A lifelong supporter of West Ham United, he still can’t quite believe they won a European trophy and feels nature is healing now that results have slipped back into the yo-yo patterns of the last 30 years.

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