Japan crush Tunisia 4-0 in 1,000th World Cup match

Japan beat Tunisia 4-0 at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey in the milestone 1,000th men’s World Cup match, with Kamada scoring in the fourth minute.apnews
Ueda scored twice and Junya Ito added a third as Japan overcame key injuries to Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma, and others to dominate.nytimes
Tunisia, who replaced coach Sabri Lamouchi with Hervé Renard mid-tournament, are eliminated with zero points after conceding nine goals in two games.apnews

Japan Thrash Tunisia 4-0 to Boost World Cup Knockout Hopes

Japan delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Tunisia on Sunday in Monterrey, Mexico, in what was the 1,000th match in men’s World Cup history, all but securing their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 tournament.apnews

Early Blitz Sets the Tone

Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in just the fourth minute — Japan’s fastest-ever World Cup goal — before Ayase Ueda doubled the lead with a strike on the half-hour mark. Junya Ito added a third in the 69th minute, and Ueda completed his brace with a header in the 83rd minute to cap a comprehensive Group F win at Estadio BBVA.reddit

The result moves Japan level on four points with the Netherlands at the top of Group F after the Dutch had earlier thrashed Sweden 5-1 in their second match. Tunisia, who had already lost 5-1 to Sweden in the opening round, are eliminated from the tournament with two losses and zero points.yahoo

Depth Overcomes Injuries

Japan’s dominance was all the more impressive given the absence of Takefusa Kubo, who sustained a left knee injury during the opening 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on June 15. The Real Sociedad forward remained in Nashville for treatment and did not travel with the squad to Mexico. Japan were also missing Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma, and Wataru Endo from their roster due to earlier injuries.chosun

Despite those absences, Japan’s attack was fluid and relentless. Ko Itakura assisted Ueda’s first goal, while Keito Nakamura set up Kamada’s opener as the squad’s depth proved decisive against a Tunisia side that had changed coaches mid-tournament, appointing Hervé Renard to replace Sabri Lamouchi after their opening defeat.nytimes

Path to the Last 32

Japan are now assured of at least a third-place finish in Group F, which could be enough to progress given the expanded 48-team format allows the best third-placed sides to advance. A draw or win in their final group match against Sweden would confirm their place in the Round of 32 for the fourth consecutive World Cup. Tunisia exit the tournament without a point after conceding nine goals in two matches.apnews