Japan 4-0 Tunisia: Samurai Blue Storm Into Round of 32 | Group F Matchday 2

Japan are through. The Samurai Blue delivered one of the performances of the tournament so far — a commanding 4-0 destruction of Tunisia at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City that confirms their place in the World Cup 2026 Round of 32.

Four goals. A clean sheet. A team that looked unstoppable from the first whistle to the last. This was Japan operating at full capacity — the press working, the movement clicking, the goals flowing. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Ayase Ueda netted twice. Junya Ito added the third.

Japan finish Group F matchday 2 on 4 points, level with the Netherlands at the top.

Match Summary

Japan 4-0 Tunisia Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | June 21, 2026 Group F, Matchday 2

Goals:

• Daichi Kamada 4' (Japan)
• Ayase Ueda 31', 83' (Japan)
• Junya Ito 69' (Japan)

How It Happened

Japan pressed from the first whistle and Tunisia could not cope. The Samurai Blue's high-energy style — built on pressing, movement, and quick transitions — was perfectly executed across 90 minutes.

Daichi Kamada struck in the 4th minute to give Japan an almost immediate lead — a clinical finish that set the tone for everything that followed.

Ayase Ueda then scored twice — in the 31st and 83rd minutes — making Japan's quality in front of goal impossible to ignore. The Feyenoord striker has been one of the finds of this tournament. Junya Ito added Japan's third in the 69th minute to complete one of Japan's finest ever World Cup performances.

Tunisia had no answer. Their defensive shape collapsed under Japan's relentless pressing and they were chasing shadows by the second half.

Group F Standings After Matchday 2

Japan and the Netherlands are tied on 4 points at the top of Group F. Both are in the Round of 32. They meet again in the final matchday (June 24) — with top spot at stake.

Sweden's 3 points from their 5-1 matchday 1 win over Tunisia keeps them alive for third-place qualification. Tunisia are eliminated.

What This Means for Japan

This is the statement Japan needed to make. The 2-2 draw with the Netherlands showed they could match Europe's best. The 4-0 win over Tunisia shows they can dominate when they need to.

Three things that stand out:

• Ayase Ueda is the tournament's emerging striker — physical, clinical, and with a goal contribution that rivals anything in the tournament
• Japan's pressing structure is one of the most organized at this World Cup
• The belief in this squad is real — these are not a team content with qualifying, they are a team trying to win every match

The Samurai Blue face Sweden in the final group game on June 24 with the chance to top the group. Japan haven't topped a World Cup group since 2010. This squad believes they can do it.

Live Scores and Updates

Follow the latest World Cup 2026 group standings and live scores on Kickoff26's schedule page. Japan vs Sweden — the final Group F decider — is on June 24.

Japan are into the knockout stage. 4-0. This is the level.