Japan versus Sweden
- Kick-off:
- Stadium: AT&T Stadium · Dallas, United States
Japan
Japan arrive at their eighth consecutive tournament — a streak unmatched in Asia — and at their tactical peak. Hajime Moriyasu, retained after Qatar 2022's heroic group-stage wins over Germany and Spain, runs a flexible 3-4-2-1 that protects defensively and unleashes pace in transition. Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) is the wing X-factor; Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) supplies craft inside; Wataru Endo (Liverpool) screens the back four; Ao Tanaka adds engine to midfield. Asian qualifying was a coronation: 7 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses. Group F with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia is winnable for second; matching 2022's round of 16 is the floor, the quarter-final the historic prize Japan have never reached.
Sweden
Sweden return after missing 2022, ending a four-year exile fueled by a transformed attack. Jon Dahl Tomasson, the Danish coach who took over in 2024, gambled on bringing Zlatan Ibrahimović back as a mentor figure rather than a player and rebuilt around Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) — arguably the most lethal striker pair in Europe. Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham) supplies the creative link; Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham) anchors the future midfield. Sweden's defensive identity remains compact and disciplined under Tomasson, but the goal-threat is finally elite again. Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia is winnable; reaching the round of 16 — last achieved in 2018 — is the minimum, and the quarter-final is no longer fanciful.
AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium hosts nine matches in 2026, including a semi-final — the most of any host venue. Located in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth, the venue opened in 2009 and seats 80,000 for football, expandable to over 100,000. Its retractable roof is the largest of its kind in the world and is decisive for North Texas summers, where afternoon temperatures regularly exceed 38°C (100°F). The roof is closed during midday matches and can be opened for evening kickoffs. The pitch has been converted to natural grass for the tournament from its standard artificial-turf NFL configuration. Home to the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium combines vast spectator capacity with climate control — likely the most operationally-flexible venue in the entire tournament.