World Cup day four recap: Japan fight back to draw against the Netherlands

Updated
World Cup LIVE
World Cup LIVEREUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Welcome to Flashscore's Football Tracker as we bring you the latest updates from day four of the FIFA World Cup.

Groups | Fixtures | News

Follow day five of the World Cup LIVE with Flashscore

Top stories:

World Cup highlights: Brazil stumble while Scotland make history

The return of Manuel Neuer: A comeback 709 days in the making

Gannon-Doak impresses: The key takeaways as Scotland defeat Haiti

Catch up on all the action from day three here

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.

Match schedule and times | Group tables | England at the World Cup | Scotland at the World Cup | Team rosters at the World Cup  | How to watch the World Cup | Predictions and odds | Which teams could be considered dark horses?

Drag down or refresh for latest updates

Live updates

23:30 BST - That's all from us tonight, but you can keep up-to-date with the latest scores and stats from the remaining games overnight by clicking on the following links:

Ivory Coast v Ecuador (00:00 BST)

Sweden v Tunisia (03:00 BST)

We'll be back on Monday with Spain v Cape Verde, Belgium v Egypt and Saudi Arabia v Uruguay. 

See you then!

22:55 BST - FULL-TIME! It's all over and it ends all square in this Group F clash as Japan twice come from behind to deny the Dutch.

Read the match report here: Japan come from behind to earn late draw against the Netherlands

Match stats
Match statsOpta by StatsPerform
Match momentum
Match momentumOpta by StatsPerform

22:48 BST - GOAL! Japan have equalised in the 89th minute, and it's total jubilation! Koki Ogawa rises highest from a corner and his header takes a deflection off Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada and into the net.

I don't think Kamada knew anything about it, but he won't care one bit.

22:39 BST - There are 10 minutes of normal time remaining. Japan have just edged possession in this half (53%), but have only had two shots on target. Can they find an equaliser?

22:22 BST - GOAL! Goodness me, this game has come alive! The Dutch retake the lead through a terrific Crysencio Summerville strike.

Ryan Gravenberch does really well to work some space before laying the ball off to Summerville to curl home his first goal for the Netherlands on his third cap.

22:17 BST - GOAL! Japan have been behind for barely six minutes and they are now level. Keito Nakamura fizzes a shot from outside the area that takes a slight deflection past Bart Verbruggen and into the net.

22:14 BST - The Netherlands have avoided defeat in their last 23 matches when scoring first in the World Cup, since a 2-3 loss to Scotland on 11th June 1978.

22:10 BST - GOAL! The Netherlands are up and running! Virgil van Dijk does superbly to head home from a fantastic looping cross by Liverpool teammate Ryan Gravenberch to give the Dutch the lead.

That's his 13th goal for his country, and just what this game needed.

22:05 BST - The second half is underway.

21:49 BST - HALF-TIME! It's been a very tense opening 45 minutes with the teams going in level at the break.

Half-time stats
Half-time statsOpta by StatsPerform

21:28 BST - Hiroki Ito smacks a shot from outside the area that soars over the bar. It was Japan's first effort towards goal and we've played almost 30 minutes.

21:15 BST - Since that opening shot it's been a cagey game with the Netherlands only having that only attempt at goal.

21:03 BST - Donyell Malen cracks a shot at goal that Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki does well to save.

21:00 BST - Referee Ismail Elfath gets the game underway.

20:58 BST - The Netherlands haven't lost a group stage fixture at a World Cup since 1994, but they will surely be put under huge pressure tonight.

20:45 BST - We are 15 minutes away from kick-off.

20:12 BST - Attention now switches to the Dallas Stadium in Texas as the Netherlands take on Japan. Kick off is at 21:00 BST, and you can see how they line up below.

Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen, Micky van de Ven, Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Denzel Dumfries, Tijjani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen, Crysencio Summerville.

Japan: Zion Suzuki, Hiroki Ito, Shogo Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan, Daizen Maeda, Takefusa Kubo, Ayase Ueda.

Starting XIs
Starting XIsFlashscore

19:59 BST - FULL-TIME! Germany thrash Curacao despite an early scare. What a moment though for debutants Curacao who made history with their first World Cup goal through Livano Comenencia after 21 minutes.

You can read the match report here: Germany thrash debutants Curacao to get World Cup campaign off to flying start

Match stats
Match statsOpta by StatsPerform
Match momentum
Match momentumOpta by StatsPerform

19:54 BST - The 90 minutes are up and there will five minutes of time added on. Is there any point?

19:52 BST - GOAL! Kai Havertz charges through on goal and dinks the ball over goalkeeper Eloy Room for his second of the night and Germany's seventh.

19:41 BST - GOAL! Deniz Undav receives the ball from Joshua Kimmich and lashes home Germany's sixth goal of the night. Despite an early scare, it's been a masterclass from the four-time World Cup winners.

19:40 BST - Curacao break forward and substitute Jearl Margaritha is unlucky to see his shot sail over the Germany bar.

19:32 BST - GOAL! Nathaniel Brown guides the ball into the far corner and Germany have goal number five. There's a slight delay for VAR to check, but he's clearly onside.

Germany have scored five goals in a World Cup game for the first time since they beat Brazil in the semi-final of 2014, which they won 7-1.

19:27 BST - What a miss! Leroy Sané makes a brilliant run in behind but shanks his shot wide with the keeper beaten.

19:11 BST - GOAL! It's a fourth goal for Germany as Jamal Musiala shoots low to extend their lead, just one minute and eight seconds after the restart.

19:09 BST - Germany get the second half underway.

18:53 BST - HALF-TIME! The whistle blows at the end of an entertaining 45 minutes in Houston, although it's a harsh scoreline for Curacao. Comenencia's goal after 21 minutes seems a lifetime ago.

Half-time stats
Half-time statsOpta by StatsPerform

18:52 BST - GOAL! Kai Havertz sends Eloy Room the wrong way and Germany go 3-1 up.

18:50 BST - PENALTY! Three minutes into time added on at the end of the first half and Germany can extend their lead from the spot. Felix Nmecha goes down in the box and it's a clear penalty.

18:40 BST - GOAL! Germany are back in front. Nico Schlotterbeck heads home direct from a Nathaniel Brown corner to score his first international goal. What a time to get it.

18:23 BST - GOAL! Curacao equalise! The islanders break forward and the ball falls kindly for Livano Comenencia who lashes a shot into the back of the net for their first ever World Cup goal!

This could be one of the greatest ever shocks. What a moment for Curacao and their fans.

18:14 BST - Germany have enjoyed 73% possession so far in the match and have had seven shots at goal (two of which on target). Curacao are struggling to get a touch of the ball.

18:07 BST - GOAL! Germany are up and running. Felix Nmecha collects a pass from Florian Wirtz and curls the ball past Eloy Room on the edge of the area.

This could be a long evening for Curacao...

18:02 BST - Referee Jalal Jayed blows his whistle, and we're underway. Just two minutes late (see post at 17:00 BST).

17:54 BST - The players are walking out of the tunnel. We're moments away from kick-off.

17:50 BST - Curacao are making their World Cup debut shortly, and this fan is certainly in the mood to party.

A Curacao fan inside the stadium prior to kick-off
A Curacao fan inside the stadium prior to kick-offReuters / Phil Noble

17:30 BST - The roof of the Houston Stadium will be closed for the match tonight as it's lashing with rain outside.

17:00 BST - Germany v Curacao is set to get underway in an hour's time, but you might have noticed that none of the games so far have started on time.

Mexico v South Africa had the longest wait so far, kicking off six minutes late, while Qatar v Switzerland is next on the list, delayed by four minutes and 53 seconds.

One theory is that it appears FIFA have misjudged how long it takes entire squads to enter the field of play for the national anthems. In the past only those starting the match lined up for the preamble.

Let's see whether tonight's matches get underway on time.

16:50 BST - The teams have been announced with Germany's Manuel Neuer making his 20th appearance in his fifth World Cup.

You can see how they line up below:

Germany: Manuel Neuer, Nathaniel Brown, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Joshua Kimmich, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sané, Kai Havertz

Curacao: Eloy Room, Deveron Fonville, Armando Obispo, Riechedly Bazoer, Sherel Floranus, Leandro Bacuna, Livano Comenencia, Juninho Bacuna, Tahith Chong, Sontje Hansen, Jürgen Locadia

Starting XIs
Starting XIsFlashscore

16:30 BST - We're 90 minutes away from the first match of this evening as Germany take on Curacao in Houston. We'll bring you team news as soon as we have it.

15:58 BST - Sweden finished third at the 1994 World Cup 32 years ago, which was also held in the USA. More than three decades later, a fresh set of players - led by Graham Potter - is targeting more international success.

Read more: Sweden hunt World Cup success 32 years on from third-placed finish

15:33 BST - Ivory Coast once boasted a golden generation of talent, with several elite players in their ranks. Things have tailed off in recenty years, but a new young core - the youngest ni the entire World Cup - is looking to make a change this summer.

Read more: How Ivory Coast can succeed where the 'Drogba generation' failed

15:23 BST - We've got another video preview for you, this time for Ivory Coast v Ecuador, which kicks off later at midnight.

World Championship 2026: Ivory Coast v Ecuador (video preview)
Flashscore

14:40 BST - Japan get their World Cup campaign underway against the Netherlands tonight, and eyes will be on highly-rated goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

The shot-stopper has had a unique rise through football - which Flashscore has taken a closer look at.

Read more: Japan goalkeeper Suzuki's unique rise through senior football

14:20 BST - Flashscore had the pleasure of speaking exclusively with former Netherlands and Manchester United player Daley Blind.

The defender admitted that other teams 'don't like' to play against the Dutch and backed them to do well at the World Cup.

"As a Dutch player going into the World Cup, you always believe you can win. Otherwise, you don't need to go there. You don't go there just to play games; you go there to compete and try to win it," Blind told Flashscore.

"I think a lot of players of the national team now are playing in the top leagues, playing for big clubs, so I think it's a very great squad on balance, and everyone has a chance.

"I think many countries don't like to play against the Netherlands, so let's see. I'm very curious, and I will follow it with a lot of interest.

Read more: Blind talks with Flashscore about Netherlands' World Cup chances

13:48 BST - The Netherlands take on Japan this evening, which we'll have live updates from right here in the Tracker. 

Check out our video preview below:

World Championship 2026: Netherlands v Japan (video preview)
Flashscore

13:20 BST - Scotland's win against Haiti last night certainly came with a lot of talking points - Flashscore have picked out five of the key takeaways from the match.

Read more: Gannon-Doak impresses - The key takeaways as Scotland defeat Haiti

13:10 BST - Curacao manager Dick Advocaat has commented on the feeling around his squad as they prepare for their clash with Germany.

"The team spirit in this team is something I've never seen before. As a country we will give everything to win for the island, but we're not the favourite," he said.

"We would like to show them what we can do and what we're worth. And for the island of Curacao, it is amazing what we have shown the people over the past two years."

Read more: Advocaat believes Curacao can shock Germany at World Cup

11:30 BST - German legend Manuel Neuer was restored to the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup and is set to start their game against Curacao, in a comeback 709 days in the making.

Read more: The return of Manuel Neuer - A comeback 709 days in the making

Manuel Neuer career record
Manuel Neuer career recordFlashscore

11:00 BST - Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach announced himself on the world stage in the Socceroos' 2-0 win over Turkey, making eight saves on his first-ever competitive appearance for his country.

Flashscore managed to speak with him after that match, alongside an assortment of the world's media.

"It was amazing, this is a dream come true," Beach said.

"This is all you think about as a kid, this is the pinnacle to play for your country on the world stage and to get a result in a close game, and against a great opposition, was one of the best nights."

Read more: Who is Patrick Beach? Australia's latest World Cup superstar

09:42 BST - The managers from Scotland and Haiti have given their thoughts following a close-fought encounter last night.

Steve Clarke has admitted Scotland face less pressure after triumphing in a must-win game, while Sebasiten Migne urged his players to take pride in their performance.

Read more: Clarke admits pressure taken off of Scotland after beating Haiti

Read more: Migne urges Haiti players to take pride in good performance against Scotland

09:33 BST - John McGinn insisted that he wanted more after netting the winning goal in Scotland's victory against Haiti.

"It was crucial. This was our pressure game; we were the favourites going into it. Haiti are a very difficult opponent," he said.

"Can we play a bit better? Of course we can. But this is brilliant, and we will go into the games against Brazil and Morocco with more gears to go up. Scotland winning at a World Cup again is the main takeaway tonight."

Read more: McGinn wants more after Scotland secure World Cup win over Haiti

08:55 BST - We've had plenty of reaction from Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco, as Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side must improve in future matches.

Morocco boss Mohamed Ouahbi was more optimistic, stating that his side could do better than their famous 2022 World Cup run.

Read more: Ancelotti insists Brazil must improve if they want World Cup success

Read more: Ouahbi backs Morocco to go far in 2026 World Cup

07:55 BST - Switzerland boss Murat Yakin was less impressed with his side's performance in the 1-1 draw with Qatar.

"We had an idea and we wanted to be ‌very dominant, very attacking," Yakin told reporters.

"We created very good chances, ‌but unfortunately we weren't always efficient. Maybe we weren't smart enough, not precise enough in the end.

"At the end of the day, unfortunately, we lost two points."

Read more: Yakin bemoans dropped points as Switzerland draw to Qatar

07:43 BST - Qatar manager Julen Lopetegui was delighted with his side's late draw against Switzerland and insisted they can continue to dream at the World Cup.

"We ‌achieved one dream when we arrived here, to be here, and now today is another little dream," the Spaniard told reporters.

"And we have the right to ‌continue having the dream."

Read more: Lopetegui delighted as Qatar make comeback against Switzerland

07:20 BST - Good morning and welcome to Flashscore's coverage of day four of the FIFA World Cup! We'll be bringing you all the latest news and updates throughout the day before the next set of fixtures gets underway.

Here's the full schedule (all times BST):

Germany v Curacao (18:00)

Netherlands v Japan (21:00)

Ivory Coast v Ecuador (00:00)

Sweden v Tunisia (03:00)

We'll also have all the reaction from day three's action, where Scotland defeated Haiti and Brazil drew with Morocco - look back at how it all unfolded here.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.

Match schedule and times | Group tables | England at the World Cup | Scotland at the World Cup | Team rosters at the World Cup  | How to watch the World Cup | Predictions and odds | Which teams could be considered dark horses?

Football