Japan Crush Tunisia 4-0 In Historic 1,000th World Cup Match To March Towards Last 32

Last Updated:June 21, 2026, 11:51 IST

Japan marked the 1,000th match in World Cup history with a dominant 4-0 win over Tunisia, as Ayase Ueda scored twice to move the Blue Samurai closer to the last 32.

Japan made sure the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history was one to remember, cruising to a commanding 4-0 victory over Tunisia on Saturday to move within touching distance of the knockout rounds.

Goals from Ayase Ueda, Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito secured a comfortable win for the Blue Samurai, who now sit level on four points with the Netherlands at the top of Group F.

For Tunisia, the defeat confirmed their elimination from the tournament. After suffering a heavy 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening match, the North Africans needed a response but were outclassed by a slick and confident Japanese side.

The match also marked the first game in charge for Tunisia’s new coach Hervé Renard, who was appointed shortly before the fixture after Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed following the Sweden defeat. However, Renard’s reign got off to a difficult start against one of Asia’s strongest teams.

How It Unfolded

Japan wasted little time asserting control. Just four minutes into the contest, Kamada opened the scoring after a flowing move involving Ao Tanaka and Keito Nakamura. The midfielder calmly converted from close range to give his side an early advantage.

The Blue Samurai nearly doubled their lead moments later, only for Dylan Bronn to produce a desperate goal-line clearance. Goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen was also kept busy, making several important saves as Japan continued to dominate possession and territory.

The pressure eventually told again in the 31st minute. Ueda capitalised on hesitant Tunisian defending, driving forward before rifling a low effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Tunisia struggled to create meaningful opportunities and found themselves chasing shadows for long periods as Japan’s crisp passing and movement dictated the tempo.

The result was put beyond doubt midway through the second half when Ito raced onto a perfectly weighted through ball and finished coolly in the 69th minute.

Ueda then completed the scoring seven minutes from time, rising highest to steer home a looping header and cap a memorable evening for Japan.

What’s Next?

Having followed up their impressive 2-2 draw against the Netherlands with a dominant win, Japan now head into their final group game firmly on course for a place in the last 32.

(with AFP inputs)

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Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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