World Cup Roundup: Sweden, Germany Cruise As Ivory Coast Stuns Ecuador

The fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of goals, a historic German blowout, and late-game heroics that shattered records and unbeaten streaks alike. 

From Amad Diallo’s dramatic 90th-minute winner to Japan fighting back from behind twice to snatch a point, the drama kept going right until the final whistle.

Here is everything you might have missed from Day 4 of the World Cup:

Germany vs. Curaçao

• Germany opened its tournament with a dominant 7-1 win over first-time World Cup participants Curaçao at Houston Stadium. This is the fourth time ever that Germany has scored seven or more goals at the World Cup and the first time since 2014, when it beat Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semifinals at Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte.
• There have only been five World Cup matches this century to have a team score seven or more goals, and Germany has three of them. Germany has scored seven or more goals in a World Cup match four times, more than any team all-time.

• Curaçao’s six-goal margin of defeat is tied for the second-largest ever by a debutant team, and the largest since South Korea lost to Hungary 9-0 in 1954.
• Kai Havertz, who had a brace in Sunday’s match, became the first German player to have a multi-goal game in consecutive World Cups since Miroslav Klose in 2006 and 2010.
• Curaçao’s lone goal was also its first-ever World Cup goal. It was scored by Livano Comenencia, who, going into Sunday’s match, had only scored two goals in his international career.

Germany vs Curaçao Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

Netherlands vs. Japan

• No. 18-ranked Japan played the No. 8-ranked Netherlands to a 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium. The back-and-forth classic was decided by an 88th minute equalizer by Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada.
• Kamada’s equalizer was the latest goal in Japan’s history at the World Cup. It was also his first-ever World Cup goal, coming in his 50th appearance for the Samurai Blue.

• Japan is unbeaten in its last four matches against European teams. It played three European teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, notably beating both Spain and Germany in the group stage.
• The Netherlands remains unbeaten in group stage openers at the World Cup. Including World Cup openers before the group stage was adopted in 1930, the Netherlands is 7W-3D-2L all-time.
• Crysencio Summerville’s goal was his first career goal for the Netherlands, coming in his third appearance for the Oranje.

Netherlands vs Japan Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

• The Ivory Coast secured three points against Ecuador in its World Cup opener thanks to a 90th-minute match-winner from Amad Diallo. Not only was it Diallo’s first career goal at a World Cup, but it was the latest match-winning goal at the tournament so far.
• This is the first time the Ivory Coast has beaten an opponent with a higher FIFA Ranking in a World Cup. Entering Sunday, Ivory Coast was 0W-1D-5L all-time at the World Cup against higher-ranked opponents.

• With a win today, the Ivory Coast ended Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten streak. Entering today, Ecuador was 8W-11D-0L in its last 19 matches.
• Ecuador hit the post three times against the Ivory Coast, becoming just the third team since 1966 to hit the post three or more times in a World Cup match and not score a goal (Netherlands against Costa Rica in 2014 and Brazil against Argentina in 1990).
• Ecuador has lost both of its World Cup matches against teams in the Confederation of African Football, also losing to Senegal in 2022.

Ivory Coast vs Ecuador Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

Sweden vs. Tunisia

• Sweden made history with their dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia, marking just the second time they have scored five or more goals in a World Cup match. The only other time came 88 years ago in 1938, when they put eight past Cuba.
• The four-goal margin also ties Sweden’s second-largest victory ever in a World Cup match, matching their 4-0 dismantling of Bulgaria in 1994 and sitting just behind that historic 8-0 win over Cuba in 1938.
• This is the first time since assist data was first tracked in 1966 that Sweden has had two different players record both a goal and an assist in the same World Cup match (Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres).

• Sweden’s Mattias Svanberg scored just 18 seconds after coming off the bench. It is the second-fastest goal by a substitute in a FIFA World Cup match since 1966, trailing only Richard Morales’ 16-second strike for Uruguay against Senegal in 2002.
• With this defeat, Tunisia drops to a 1-2-4 (W-D-L) all-time record in World Cup openers. They remain winless in their last six opening matches (0-2-4) since defeating Mexico in their tournament debut back in 1978.

Sweden vs Tunisia Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

BEST OF THE DAY

Save Of The Day

With all due respect to Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana, who was the only player that managed to keep a clean sheet on Sunday, the crossbar was called into action more than him against Ecuador.

While Fofana only recorded one save against Ecuador in the 68th minute, the crossbar denied Ecuador from scoring not once, but twice! Congratulations on this prestigious honor, crossbar.

Assist Of The Day

Koki Ogawa might have been going for goal when he struck the ball in the 88th minute of Japan’s thrilling catchup with the Netherlands on Sunday, but he caught his teammate Daichi Kamada’s head instead. Luckily for him, he struck it hard enough to where it found the back of the net in the end, he just didn’t get credit for it. Hopefully an assist is just as meaningful for him — this one should be.

Goal Of The Day

There were 19 goals scored on the fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first one of the day is our Goal of the Day.

Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha started the play by passing the ball to Florian Wirtz, and Wirtz gave it right back to a darting Nmecha, who struck it well to the far right post, well outside the reach of Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room.

Moment Of The Day

Entering the fourth day of the World Cup, everyone had the matchup between the Netherlands and Japan circled on their calendars. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype and then some.

While there was no winner, it had everything else: star power, drama, great energy and four goals, including an 88th-minute match-winner from Daichi Kamada. And with Sweden’s dominant win over Tunisia, Group F is wide open.

’Game of World Cup™ So Far’ 🚨 Instant Reaction to Absolute THRILLER between Netherlands and Japan

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