Day 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has a lot in store for fans.
Sunday’s highlight event will be the group match between the Netherlands and Japan, pitting the three-time runners-up against one of Asia’s strongest teams.
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They will also witness history being made as Curacao becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup, opening the tournament against Germany.
Ecuador, considered the dark horse of this tournament, will also participate and face Ivory Coast, while Sweden will face Tunisia, who returned from the previous tournament.
Away from football, New York was engulfed in basketball fever as the Knicks were crowned NBA champions and the spotlight was taken away from the World Cup in America.
What is today’s World Cup match?
Germany vs. Curacao: NRG Stadium, Houston – 12:00 pm local time (17:00 GMT) Netherlands vs. Japan: AT&T Stadium, Dallas – 2:00 pm local time (19:00 GMT) Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – 7:00 pm local time (23:00 GMT) Sweden vs. Tunisia: Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe –7:30 PM local time (Sunday 01:30 GMT)
The Netherlands will face Japan in a highly anticipated group match
Sunday’s match between the Netherlands and Japan is among Al Jazeera’s top five group games to watch for the 2026 World Cup.
The Netherlands, who were runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010, will open Group F with an exciting clash against Japan, who are poised to pull off a huge upset by defeating Germany and Spain in the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The three-time finalist has, by his own admission, put the pressure on himself to go all the way in North America.
While Holland’s previous golden generation (the 1988 Euro-winning team) was unable to replicate their success on the continent on the world stage, coach Ronald Koeman’s current squad has the talent and quality. And for the first time, they had a chance to lift a trophy from the outside.
“We are putting a lot of pressure on ourselves,” Koeman told reporters on Saturday. “We want to go far in the tournament. We have a strong team and we know what we need to improve to have a real chance.
“But we have to take it one game at a time. We need to focus on Japan first, but it’s going to be a difficult game.”
With notable players such as Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay, Tijani Reijnders and Codi Gakpo, the Dutch will be the team to watch in the opening round of the 48-team World Cup.
But Japan will try to ruin their party. Coach Hajime Moriyasu knows his team will face a battle to get through a tough group if the Samurai Blue are to realize their dream of advancing into uncharted territory at the World Cup.
Coach Moriyasu, who led Japan to the last 16 in the finals in Qatar, said, “We have to survive this stage no matter what, but at the same time we know that we are in a very tough group.” “The Dutch team has the best of the best talent.”
Japan has never won a World Cup finals tournament, losing in each of their past four appearances in the round of 16, and Moriyasu’s team will go into the final without influential captain Wataru Endo. However, pay attention to Ayase Ueda, Takefusa Kubo, Junya Ito, and Daichi Kamata.
Netherlands vs Japan prediction
Statistics provider Opta’s supercomputer has shown that the Netherlands have a 50.2 percent chance of winning their Group F match against Japan, where the odds of winning are 24.5 percent. The probability of a draw is 25.2%.
Overall, the Netherlands are the favorites to top this group, with a probability of 49.46%. Other teams in this section are Tunisia and Sweden.
How can I watch Netherlands vs. Japan?
Netherlands: NPO 1, NPO 3, nos.nl Japan: NHK BS4K, DAZN, NHK General Television UK: STV, STV Player, ITV1, ITVX USA: FOX One, Telemundo Network, Telemundo App, FOX, Peacock
Tiny Curacao island plans to make World Cup history with Germany test
Curaçao, a tiny Caribbean island with a population of just over 150,000 and an area of just 443 square kilometers (171 square miles), is set to become the smallest country ever to compete in the FIFA World Cup.
After writing a fairy-tale qualifying script, they arrive in North America as one of four debutants and face the daunting task of facing four-time world champion Germany.
But Curaçao, who rely heavily on players who defected to the Netherlands, are not giving up yet.
“We are a small country compared to Germany, but we will make life difficult for Germany and we will be a difficult team to play,” said coach Dick Advocaat.
“We have nothing to lose. Expectations for us as a team are not that high because we think we can surprise people. It’s great for the players and for the country to be here, but we also have to show people what we’re made of.”
Along with Curaçao, Advocaat is also aiming for a record. At 78 years old, Advocaat becomes the oldest manager in World Cup history.
Germany vs Curacao predictions
Germany has a whopping 90.7 percent chance of winning against Curaçao in Group E, but only a 3.6 percent chance of causing an upset. The probability that the game will end in a draw is 5.7%.
Overall, Germany has a 65.32% chance of leading this group, which also includes Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
How can I watch Germany vs Curacao?
Germany: Fussball.TV 2, DasErste, ARD Mediathek Curacao: DGO, DSPORTS UK: ITV1, STV Player, ITVX, STV US: FOX One, Telemundo Network, Telemundo App, FOX, Peacock
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador predictions
This is an interesting match, with both teams having roughly equal chances of winning.
Ivory Coast has a 37.5 percent chance of winning, while Ecuador has a 35.2 percent chance of winning. The odds of a draw are 27.3%.
Sweden vs Tunisia prediction
Sweden are the favorites to win this match, with a 51.1% chance of winning. Tunisia’s odds are 23.2 percent, lower than the 25.7 percent chance of a draw.
Knicks leave World Cup in the cold after New York victory
The World Cup Carnival finally began on Saturday in New York, with Brazil and Morocco facing off in a Group C heavyweight showdown. But after the hometown Knicks broke a 53-year curse and won the NBA Finals, the football craze was overshadowed by the basketball euphoria.
In the aftermath of the Knicks’ 94-90 Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, New York was in a celebratory mood, with fans setting off fireworks and a cacophony of cheers and car horns echoing throughout the city.
“Knicks in Five!” the crowd chanted after the hometown basketball team shut out the seven-game series in five games.
Times Square in central Manhattan was filled with Brazilian and Moroccan fans after the games, while the rest of the city was filled with crowds of jubilant Knicks fans.
