The 2026 World Cup is officially in Dallas.
Netherlands and Japan kick off Group F at Dallas Stadium on Sunday afternoon (3pm CT, Fox/Telemundo), and it’s not a throwaway opener, this is arguably the group’s pivotal match.
The Dutch arrive ranked seventh in the world with three World Cup final appearances and zero trophies to show for it. Japan rolls into North Texas, ranked 18th, having beaten England and Scotland in warm-ups and carrying a five-game winning streak into kickoff.
One team leaves North Texas with a commanding grip on the group, while the other will start doing math with Sweden and Tunisia.
Here’s what you need to know.
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Lineups
Starting XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1Holland
Starting XI
Formation: 3-4-1-2Japan
Three Things to Watch
Can De Jong Survive the Blender?
The whole match will run through De Jong for Holland. If he gets time to turn and pick passes, the Dutch attack hums. If Japan’s front three cuts off his angels and forces him to go long, guys like Depay get isolated and the game tilts. Japan wants to press and they have designed it to target the ball-playing midfielder to force errors high and trigger counters through Kubo.
Kubo is the guy nobody in Dallas knows yet
That’s about to change. With Mitoma out, the creative burden falls squarely on Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan. Kubo is the kind of player that makes it look easy. He drifts into half-spaces, cuts inside, and when Japan breaks at speed, he’s looking to get behind the Dutch defense before they can recover.
Verbruggen’s hip
There’s no middle ground here. Verbruggen was held out of training this week and his status remains in question. Backup keeper Mark Flekken isn’t a giant step back but the way Verbruggen commands his penalty area in a big game like this could be something that exposes the Dutch.
The Vibe Check
The atmosphere around Dallas Stadium is wild. The Dutch fans marched through the streets of Arlington, on their way to the stadium this morning. It was a sea of Oranje - truly a sight to behold.
The Call
This could potentially be one of the best games of the tournament’s group stage. I’m going with Holland, 2-1.
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