The Japanese national team sharpened its sword and showed no mercy. In the historic 1,000th match of the Men’s World Cup, the “Blue Samurai” crushed a hapless Tunisia 4-0, taking a giant step toward qualifying for the Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive World Cup.
A Night of Records and a Ruined “Renard Effect”
The 4-0 score is no ordinary result: it’s the most goals Japan has ever scored in a single World Cup match. This offensive onslaught ultimately buried Tunisia, a team mired in chaos that made history for all the wrong reasons by becoming the first to fire its coach after the opening match. Not even the emergency hiring of the experienced Hervé Renard could prevent the mathematical elimination of the Eagles of Carthage.
With this resounding victory, Japan now has four points and is tied at the top of Group F with the Netherlands, who hold the overall lead by a slight advantage in goal difference.
Ueda’s rocket and the lethal early goal
The Japanese came out determined to settle the matter from the very first moment. Just four minutes in, Daichi Kamada burst into the box like a true “ghost striker” to tap in a cross from Keito Nakamura. This goal became Japan’s fastest ever in World Cup history. “I was thinking more about getting in front of the net than about creating plays, so I’m glad I achieved my goal,” acknowledged the Crystal Palace midfielder.
In the 31st minute, the masterpiece of the night arrived. Ayase Ueda picked up the ball in midfield and drove toward the opponent’s half. Just when it seemed the play called for a pass, the lethal Feyenoord forward (and recent Eredivisie top scorer) surprised everyone by unleashing a rocket of a shot from outside the box that nestled just inside the left post for a 2-0 lead.
The Asian celebration showed no signs of slowing down. In the 69th minute, Ueda himself worked his magic with a subtle touch that set up Junya Itō for a perfect one-on-one against goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, and Itō finished with ice-cold composure to make it 3-0. Finally, to cap off a masterful performance, Ueda sealed his brace in the 83rd minute with a majestic lobbed header that sent the stands into a frenzy.
Group F Wrap-Up: Japan Sends a Message to Europe
Coach Hajime Moriyasu—the first to lead Japan in consecutive World Cups—made no secret of his ambition heading into the final group stage match: “Scoring as many goals as possible gives the team a lot of confidence. It’s something we definitely want to repeat against Sweden.” A serious warning, considering a staggering statistic: the Japanese squad hasn’t lost to a European opponent in 90 minutes since 2019.
Next Thursday, the drama will unfold. Japan will face Sweden in Dallas, seeking to secure the top spot in the group, while a battered Tunisia will take on the Netherlands in Kansas City—a match in which Renard has already demanded that his players “take responsibility and be professionals until the very end.”
