The Netherlands faced Japan in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, which culminated in an exciting 2-2 draw. The Dutch team initially took the lead twice, with a record-setting goal from Virgil van Dijk and a well-placed strike by Crysencio Summerville. However, they were unable to maintain their advantage throughout the match.
Head coach Ronald Koeman faced criticism from fans and analysts for his tactical decisions in the second half. His choice to strengthen the defense and relinquish control allowed Japan to equalize, scoring from a corner during the final moments of the game.
“We led twice, but if you look at the chances both teams had, it was a great match with plenty of quality minutes on both sides. So a draw in the opening game is something we can absolutely live with. There was definitely some first-game tension in their play as well. Japan usually presses much more aggressively, but this time they only started doing that after they fell behind—I think out of fear. Still, we scored two good goals. It’s a shame to lose the win after a corner, but I saw a lot of positives in our performance,” Ronald Koeman stated.
In the mixed zone, Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong shared his thoughts with Spanish radio station Cadena COPE. He expressed immense pride in representing his country at the World Cup and emphasized that the primary objective for the Oranje is to secure victory in the tournament.