4 Takeaways From Netherlands' Group-Clinching Win vs. Tunisia At The World Cup

The Netherlands is the winner of Group F at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a methodical 3-1 win over Tunisia at a rainy Kansas City Stadium, combined with Japan and Sweden simultaneously playing to a 1-1 draw.

The Netherlands and Japan both began the day on four points. The two teams were also even in the next two tiebreakers: head-to-head, followed by goal difference. The Netherlands only had the edge in the third tiebreaker, which is goals scored.

That made this game a race between the Netherlands and Japan to both win their respective games by as large a margin as possible. At one point during this game, the lead was up for grabs, as the Netherlands was only up 2-1 while Japan was up 1-0 on Sweden. But as the games progressed, the Dutch pulled away, while Japan conceded an equalizer. In the end, Japan finished second, while Sweden finished third with a record that likely has it among the top-eight teams to still advance.

Here are my takeaways:

1. The Netherlands Became Too Passive

The start of the game could not have gone any better for the Netherlands, which was all over Tunisia early on. Right back Denzel Dumfries continued his strong start to the World Cup when, in the second minute, he drove a hard, low cross into the box that forced an own goal from Tunisia central defender Ellyes Skhiri.

Then in the seventh minute, Tijjani Reijnders floated a free kick to the back post, which Virgil Van Dijk headed it back across the front of the goal. Brian Brobbey was then there to head it home from close range. It was Brobbey's third goal of the tournament.

At that point, the Netherlands should have been able to keep up its intensity on a demoralized opponent and find more goals. That did not happen, and the first half finished 2-0. In the first part of the second half, Tunisia even pulled one back due to poor set-piece defending from the Netherlands.

It was only after Tunisia scored that the Netherlands was able to find another goal to get back onto the front foot again.

This is a problem for head coach Ronald Koeman's team, which has elite talent and realistic ambitions to be a contender at this World Cup. Despite the team’s offensive capabilities, the Netherlands has not kept a clean sheet in six straight games.

The Netherlands seems to only raise its game when external events demand it. The Dutch needed to come out strong and did. When the team no longer needed to be intense, it wasn’t. Then, after Tunisia scored again, the Netherlands raised its level again until it found another goal. Then the pace of the game slowed again.

Against elite opponents, that can be the team’s downfall. It needs to find a way to play strong on its own terms.

2. Tunisia Hits Rock Bottom

Mercifully, the World Cup is over for Tunisia, which returns home as arguably the worst team in the tournament. Three games, three losses, all by multiple-goal margins and all while being outscored 12-2. At a time when minnows such as Curaçao and Cape Verde were able to find ways to compete and even secure a result, at no point in this tournament was Tunisia ever competitive. Even Haiti, which also lost all three of its games, showed more fight and competitiveness.

Tunisia is not a minnow. This team defeated France at the 2022 World Cup (while France had a rotated squad in that game, France’s reserves still made for a great lineup). During World Cup qualifying, Tunisia did not concede a single goal in its group. While it was a weak group, Tunisia did not make a single costly defensive mistake.

After the team’s opening game, it fired its head coach, Sabri Lamouchi, and replaced him with Hervé Renard. It was the first time in World Cup history that a team had ever fired a coach after the first game.

That speaks to the underlying cause of what made this team such a mess at the World Cup. The federation has not provided stability. The national team has had seven coaches since the 2022 World Cup. That has made it impossible for this team to build chemistry, an identity, or a coherent style of play.

Now moving into a new cycle with competitions like the African Cup of Nations and 2030 World Cup qualifying coming up, we will see if the federation opts to provide this stability, which can only help with results.

3. Brobbey, Reijnders And Malen impressed

In terms of this game, the best players on the field were Brian Brobbey, Tijjani Reijnders and Donyell Malen, who all did well executing Koeman’s plan. 

On the right wing, Malen was very difficult for Tunisian players to stop. While he did not factor into a goal contribution, Malen drew fouls, opened up space with his dribbling and was effective in his passing.

Brobbey entered this tournament having scored just one goal for the Netherlands in his career. At a time when most contenders have a dominant center forward, Brobbey does not have that resume. But he has been excellent in the group stage with three goals from two starts (he played just five minutes against Japan).

Whether Brobbey can continue his form and lead the Dutch deep into the knockouts is another question. But he should be playing with a lot of confidence.

Reijnders was also very effective against Tunisia, where he created several chances and had an assist. He had three shots and forced two big saves.

4. Morocco Next For The Netherlands

Winning the group was not much of a prize for the Netherlands, which will now have to face Morocco in the round of 32. Morocco finished second in its group with a draw with Brazil, followed by wins over Scotland and Haiti.

This is a matchup that could be very problematic for the Dutch, as Morocco was a semifinalist in 2022 and has only continued to play well over the ensuing four years. It will be the most difficult test for Koeman’s team, which will have to be sharp and focused for the full 90 minutes, not just in specific moments.