TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Netherlands celebrated a goal fest as they crushed Sweden 5-1 in the Group F match of the 2026 World Cup at NRG Stadium in Houston in the early hours of Sunday, June 21, 2026. Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored two goals, while the other goal was contributed by Crysencio Summerville. Sweden only managed to reply through Anthony Elanga.
This victory took the Netherlands to the top of Group F standings with four points from two matches. Meanwhile, Sweden dropped to the second position with three points.
The Netherlands took the lead early in the game. Brobbey put his name on the scoresheet after exploiting Cody Gakpo's pass within the first five minutes. The striker scored again in the 17th minute, this time finishing off Denzel Dumfries' pass to double his team's lead.
Sweden tried to make a comeback and posed a threat through Viktor Gyokeres. However, their chance was thwarted by Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
The Scandinavian team also managed to breach the Dutch goal through Gustaf Lagerbielke. However, the goal was disallowed for offside.
Entering the second half, the Netherlands quickly scored again. Gakpo extended the lead to 3-0 in the 47th minute after receiving a pass from Dumfries. Seven minutes later, Gakpo scored his second goal by capitalizing on Summerville's pass, making the score 4-0.
Sweden reduced the deficit in the 59th minute. Anthony Elanga successfully converted Alexander Isak's pass into a goal. However, the Netherlands concluded their goal fest through Summerville in the 89th minute. The score remained 5-1 until the end of the match.
After the game, Sweden coach Graham Potter admitted that he did not expect his team to lose by that margin. According to him, the defeat should be a valuable lesson for his team. "I did not expect the game to go like this, but we have to learn from this," Potter said as quoted by FIFA's website.
Potter assessed that the match opened his eyes to a number of weaknesses still present in the Sweden team, particularly in anticipating attacks from the flanks. "They made it difficult for us on the wings. The first goal came from a long pass that we didn't handle well," he said.
Sweden will face Japan in the final Group F match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 06.00 AM WIB. A victory will ensure their qualification for the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup.
Read: World Cup Standings: US and Brazil Top Groups C and D
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