Japan Defeat Tunisia 4-0 in Milestone 1,000th World Cup Match

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Japan national football team secured a dominant victory over Tunisia in the second round of the World Cup group stage. The match, held in the Mexican city of Monterrey, ended 4-0 in favor of the Asian team. This particular fixture entered football history, officially becoming the 1,000th match played in the final stages of the World Cup.

The Japanese team established a confident lead in the first half. Midfielder Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the 4th minute, and forward Ayase Ueda doubled the lead in the 31st minute. In the second half of the meeting, Junya Ito consolidated the Japanese advantage by scoring in the 69th minute. Ayase Ueda established the final score in the 83rd minute, completing his brace in the match.

The Tunisia national team played this match under the leadership of its new head coach, Herve Renard. The French specialist replaced Sabri Lamouchi, who was dismissed following Tunisia's heavy 1-5 defeat against Sweden in the opening round. However, the coaching change did not help the African team secure its first points of the tournament.

Following two rounds of matches, the Netherlands leads Group F with four points. Japan has also accumulated four points and occupies second place, trailing the leader only on tiebreakers. Sweden sits in third place with three points. After suffering two consecutive defeats, Tunisia has been eliminated from playoff contention ahead of schedule. In the final round of the group stage, which will take place on the night of 26 June 2026, Japan will play against Sweden, while Tunisia will face the Netherlands.