Arlington is set to host its third World Cup match of the summer, as Japan and Sweden face off on Thursday at Dallas Stadium in a Group F finale, with both teams vying for a spot in the knockout stage. The match is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CT.
Japan sits in second place in Group F standings with four points, per FIFA, level with leaders Netherlands but behind on goals. Sweden is one point behind with three, so a win here would pull them level with Japan and possibly even ahead.
Sweden cannot afford to let Japan gain more momentum in the group standings, while Japan knows that a victory would almost certainly send them through, regardless of other results.
Tunisia has lost both its matches and is already eliminated.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert posted on X about the matchup: (Note: The game is on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 6:00 PM CT. In Tolbert’s post, she is referencing Japan Standard Time.)
Welcome to Dallas, Japan and Sweden! 🇯🇵🇸🇪⚽
I’m excited to personally welcome fans from around the world for tomorrow’s FIFA World Cup match. Whether you’re at the stadium or cheering from a watch party, let’s celebrate the beautiful game together.
Welcome to Dallas! #FIFA pic.twitter.com/DEqCsX85qe
— Kimberly Bizor Tolbert (@KBTDallasCM) June 24, 2026
The Dallas Express will be on-site at Dallas Stadium for Thursday’s match.
Japan: Unbeaten and Unshaken
In a thrilling Group F opener in Arlington on June 14, Japan denied the Netherlands a win with a last-minute equalizer – Koki Ogawa’s corner deflected off Daichi Kamada and past Bart Verbruggen in the 89th minute to secure the 2-2 draw.
Netherlands Captain Virgil Van Dijk broke the deadlock in the 51st minute; Keito Nakamura pulled Japan level six minutes later, and Crysencio Summerville restored the Dutch advantage, but Japan refused to slow down.
They carried that momentum into their second match. Japan made history against Tunisia in Monterrey, winning 4-0 to become the first country representing the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to score four goals in a single World Cup game, according to the AFC. Kamada struck in the fourth minute, Ayase Ueda added a brace, and Junya Ito made it three in the 69th.
Captain Wataru Endo was forced to withdraw from the tournament before it began due to a foot injury and also announced his retirement from international football, per ESPN. Ko Itakura stepped into the armband, and Japan hasn’t looked rattled since.
Moriyasu’s squad runs deep – Kamada has two goals already, Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan provide a spark on the pitch, and Ayase Ueda leads the line, having finished the Dutch league season as its top scorer with 25 goals for Feyenoord.
Sweden: Backed into A Corner
Sweden’s World Cup campaign started with an impressive 5-1 win over Tunisia. Yasin Ayari scored twice, while Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, and Mattias Svanberg also found the net.
Svanberg needed just 18 seconds to score after coming off the bench, and Isak and Gyokeres became only the second Swedish forward duo to assist each other in a World Cup match.
Five days later, Sweden came crashing back to earth in a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands. The Dutch controlled the match from the outset and repeatedly exposed Sweden’s defense, while star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres struggled to make an impact.
Graham Potter took over as Sweden’s manager in October of 2025, according to AP News, and guided the team through a rocky qualifying campaign to reach the World Cup. Now comes his biggest test yet. Sweden must get a result against Japan, but they’ll need to tighten up defensively after conceding five goals to the Netherlands in their last match.
Dallas Stadium Awaits a Defining World Cup Clash
Sweden will need to push forward and take some risks, while Japan is comfortable sitting deep and punishing teams on the counterattack. If Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak rediscover the form they showed against Tunisia, Sweden has enough firepower to win it. But if Japan controls the midfield the way they did at this same stadium ten days ago, the Blue Samurai’s World Cup run will continue.
Thursday is the third of four group-stage matches in Arlington, with Lionel Messi and Argentina returning to face Jordan on Saturday night. Looking ahead, North Texas isn’t done delivering iconic World Cup moments just yet.
