2026 World Cup: Group F Preview

We're continuing our 2026 World Cup preview series with a look at Group F, one of the most intriguing groups at the tournament.

No group at this World Cup has a wider range of possibilities. The Netherlands have pedigree, Japan have recent results, Sweden have firepower, and Tunisia bring a battle-tested defense. Group F doesn't have a clear front runner, and that's what makes it worth watching.

Catch up on all our other previews here:

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TEAMS: The Netherlands 🇳🇱 | Japan 🇯🇵 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | Tunisia 🇹🇳

The Netherlands 🇳🇱

FIFA World Ranking: 8

Three World Cup finals. Zero trophies. The most appearances in a final without a win. The Dutch carry that weight everywhere they go, but Ronald Koeman's side might just be enough to finally find redemption.

Captain Virgil van Dijk leads a physically dominant backline, while Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch control the midfield. They stay compact, compress the middle, and punish teams on the counter, but they're also fully capable of playing some intricate sequences, reminiscent of the great Dutch teams of the '70s.

Despite an elite pedigree, they head into the tournament with an absolutely brutal injury list. Xavi Simons, their x-factor in attack, tore his ACL in April. Matthijs de Ligt, the preferred center back partner for van Dijk, missed most of the season for Manchester United with a back issue. Frenkie de Jong was out for most of the year with Barcelona, Jerdy Schouten is also recovering from an ACL tear, Denzel Dumfries missed four months, and Memphis Depay injured his hamstring at the end of the season with Corinthians.

With all of this, the weight shifts to Cody Gakpo. Gakpo and Gravenberch just spent a season doing this together at Liverpool, and that kind of club chemistry will be crucial if the Oranje are to make the deep run they seem capable of. This group is an incredibly favorable

How they qualified: The Netherlands were unbeaten during European Qualifying, cruising to an automatic berth.

Best-ever finish: Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)

Odds to win World Cup: +2000

Key player: Cody Gakpo. With Simons gone, the attack runs through him. He drifts in off the left, carries into space, and has to manufacture the chances this offense needs.

X-factor: 24-year-old midfielder Ryan Gravenberch had a recent breakout at Liverpool, which made him one of Europe's best in the double pivot. His ability to read the game gives De Jong the freedom to push forward, while he and Gakpo already know each other's timing.

What's their ceiling? Semifinals, if Depay stays healthy and Gakpo delivers. The talent is legit.

Projection: They'll win the group. What happens in the knockout round is the same conversation Dutch fans have been having for 50 years.

Fun fact: The Netherlands has more bicycles than people, roughly 22 million bikes for 17 million residents. The Dutch government estimates 27% of all trips in the country are made by bicycle, and Amsterdam alone has more bike parking spots than car parking spots.

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Japan 🇯🇵

FIFA World Ranking: 18

Before they play a single minute of group stage football, Japan will be right here. They've set up base camp at Nashville SC's Training Center in Antioch, which means for the next few weeks, Music City is a World Cup host city.

Even better: on June 8, they're holding a free public open training session at GEODIS Park at 5:45 pm CT. Show up! It's not every day the team that beat Germany, Spain, Brazil, and England at Wembley warms up in your backyard.

Then the real work begins.

Head coach Hajime Moriyasu runs a high-tempo, shape-shifting 4-2-3-1 that smothers teams and attacks before defenses can reorganize. Their defensive shape is central to all of it, and two of their center backs, Ko Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu, already know each other's game from playing together at Ajax.

Then there's captain Wataru Endo, who spent the entire Liverpool season playing alongside Dutch opponents Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Ryan Gravenberch. He's watched how that Dutch spine operates from the inside. Could he provide inside info for their group-opening match on June 14?

The injury list stings, though. Kaoru Mitoma tore his hamstring in May, and the Brighton star (and one of the best dribblers in world football) won't be there. Takumi Minamino tore his ACL in December and is also out. So the tournament will run through Takefusa Kubo.

After the Netherlands, Tunisia follows on June 20, then Sweden on June 25. The group gets easier as it goes, but Japan will need to limit the damage early.

The underdog label is wearing thin, but people keep giving it to them anyway. This team is closer to a contender than an underdog.

How they qualified: AFC (Asian Football Confederation) qualifying

Best-ever finish: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)

Odds to win World Cup: +6500

Key player: Takefusa Kubo, 25, Real Sociedad. Six goal contributions in La Liga this season, and he helped Real Sociedad win the Copa del Rey. He's direct, technical, and La Liga already knows what this tournament is about to find out.

X-factor: Yuto Nagatomo. At 39, he becomes the first Asian player to appear in five World Cups. He said it himself after getting the call: "This is my fifth selection, but I have never been this nervous before." Thirty-nine years old and still shaking. His experience steadying a young group in high-pressure moments is worth more than his minutes.

What's their ceiling? Semifinals. They can beat anyone on their day.

Projection: Japan advance from the group in second. place, but run into Brazil in the Round of 32.

Fun fact: Japan has roughly one vending machine for every 23 people, about 5.5 million machines nationwide, selling everything from hot coffee to fresh eggs to ramen to umbrellas. The density is so high that vending machines outnumber convenience stores by roughly 100 to 1.

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Sweden 🇸🇪

FIFA World Ranking: 38

Sweden barely made it here. They picked up two points in qualifying, finished bottom of their group, and needed the Nations League back door just to reach the playoffs. Then Viktor Gyökeres scored a hat trick against Ukraine in Valencia. Five days later, he scored the winner against Poland in the 88th minute to send the Swedes to the World Cup.

Englishman Graham Potter has been in charge since October, inheriting the mess and the talent in the same moment. The talent: Gyökeres, who scored 20 Premier League goals in his debut season at Arsenal as they ended a 21-year title drought, and Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool in the summer for a British record £125 million. That's one heck of a front line.

The 3-4-2-1 gives the wing-backs freedom to deliver, while Lucas Bergvall, Anthony Elanga, or Yasin Ayari run behind the striker. The concern isn't the attack, it's whether the defense is up to the task and if

How they qualified: UEFA European Qualifying, beating Poland in the Path B final.

Best-ever finish: Runners-up (1958)

Odds to win World Cup: +10000

Key player: 28-year-old Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres is one of the most dangerous center forwards in Europe. Sweden will go as far as he takes them.

X-factor: 20-year-old Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall is one of the most exciting young players in Europe, and Potter knows him well from their time together at Tottenham. If Sweden need someone to change a game, he's the one.

What's their ceiling? Quarterfinals, if the attack clicks. A lot depends on how quickly Potter's ideas take hold.

Projection: Gyökeres and Isak are too good to go three-and-out. Sweden finish in third place and advance.

Fun fact: Sweden's Allemansrätten, or "Right of Public Access," is a constitutional principle guaranteeing every person the right to walk, camp, swim, or forage on any uncultivated land in the country (including private property) as long as they cause no damage. It's one of the most expansive land-access rights in the world.

Tunisia 🇹🇳

FIFA World Ranking: 47

Tunisia went undefeated through qualifying, winning nine of their ten matches and finishing without conceding a single goal. They're the first team in World Cup qualifying to keep clean sheets through the entirety of a qualifying cycle. Their 3-5-2 is disciplined, compact, and built to make life miserable for their opponents. They don't play especially attractive soccer, but it's incredibly effective.

Sabri Lamouchi took over in January, after qualification was already secured under Sami Trabelsi, and he inherited the same defensive foundation. The structure was already there, but his task has been to find more at the other end of the pitch.

That's where Hannibal Mejbri comes in. At 23, the Burnley midfielder already has 44 caps and the technical quality to control the ball in tight spots. A product of the Manchester United academy, he has the pedigree to be the creative hub of this team.

If Tunisia can take something from their group opener against Sweden, the entire group opens up. If they lose, they'll have to play catchup against the Netherlands and Japan, two teams built to break down compact defenses exactly like Tunisia.

How they qualified: They cruised through African qualifying, with nine wins and zero goals conceded

Best-ever finish: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)

Odds to win World Cup: +50000

Key player: Hannibal Mejbri is Tunisia's creative outlet. He's a composed playmaker who's able to dictate the tempo.

X-factor: Center back Montassar Talbi has the second-most caps on this team, and is the unquestioned leader of the backline.

What's their ceiling? Tunisia could play spoiler, sneaking out of the group and winning a match in the knockouts.

Projection: Tunisia's attacking limitations will make it difficult to get out of the group, and they'll finish in last after a respectable performance.

Fun fact: Star Wars was filmed extensively in Tunisia. The desert planet Tatooine takes its name directly from the real Tunisian town of Tataouine. The Lars family homestead and the city of Mos Espa were both filmed in southern Tunisia, and several of the original sets remain standing as tourist attractions in the desert.

Group F Wrap

Predicted final standings:

The match that decides it: Netherlands vs Japan on June 14 sets everything in motion, and is one of the best matchups of the group stage.

Best third-place watch: Sweden. They could do some real damage in the knockout rounds and spoil the party for a better team.