Netherlands vs. Japan Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group F, 06/14
After all the hoopla and the run up, the 2026 World Cup continues with a Group F matchup as the Netherlands takes on Japan Sunday afternoon and we have you covered with our Netherlands vs. Japan prediction. The Netherlands ended up their tuneup for the World Cup by downing Uzbekistan 2-1 in their previous match Monday. Japan downed Iceland 1-0 in their final international friendly May 31. In the only previous World Cup meeting between the teams, it was the Netherlands taking a 1-0 win in a Group E match on June 19, 2010. Let’s break down this Netherlands vs. Japan matchup.
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Netherlands Look to Start Group Play on Positive Note
The Netherlands finished their international friendly slate with two wins, one draw and one loss as they beat Uzbekistan. That was a nice bounce back from their loss to Algeria back on June 3. Oranje is making their 12th all-time appearance in World Cup play and their second straight here. The Netherlands own an all-time record of 30 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses in World Cup play. Oranje is still seeking their first World Cup title, having finished as the runner-up on three occasions. The Netherlands entered the World Cup ranked eighth in the FIFA rankings.
In their previous matchup against Uzbekistan, the Netherlands took care of business to finish friendly play on a positive note. Oranje controlled play most of the way and held a lead into stoppage time. After Uzbekistan knotted the score, they managed to strike in the dying moments to earn the win. The Netherlands controlled 65% of the possession in the game. They also held a 15-8 edge in shot attempts and a 4-1 margin in shots on goal in the match. Cody Gakpo gave Oranje a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 32nd minute as he converted a penalty kick. The Netherlands held that 1-0 lead at the half. They continued to lead late into the second half before giving up the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time. That came shortly after Guus Til earned a red card in the 87th minute.
Oranje turned up the pressure after that. Jan Paul van Hecke drew a foul in the penalty area. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Gakpo converted his second penalty kick of the match. That gave the Netherlands the lead and a minute later, the match was over. Bart Verbruggen makes his World Cup debut in this contest. He made six appearances in World Cup qualifying for Oranje. Verbruggen had a record of four wins, two draws and no losses in those matches. He turned in three clean sheets in those outings.
Japan Seeking to Maintain Recent Stretch of Strong Play
Japan rolls in with momentum as they won their last six international friendly matches heading into the World Cup. They didn’t just beat pushovers as they own victories over Brazil and England in that span. The Samurai Blue make their eighth World Cup appearance here and their eighth consecutive as well. Japan owns a record of seven wins, 12 losses and six draws in World Cup play entering this contest. The Samurai Blue are currently ranked 18th in the FIFA world rankings and hope to advance past the round of 16 for the first time.
Against Iceland, it was a defensive struggle most of the way but a late Japan goal helped them emerge victorious. The Samurai Blue held a narrow 54.8% to 45.2% margin in terms of possession in the contest. Japan owned a 15-9 advantage in shot attempts and a 7-2 edge in shots on goal in the contest. The teams played to a scoreless draw in the first half and seemed poised to finish that way. Japan ratcheted up the pressure in the second half and finally cracked Iceland’s defense when Koki Ogawa scored in the 87th minute. Yukinari Sugawara drew the assist on the goal with a nice cross pass. That goal held up as the winner of the contest.
Zion Suzuki makes his World Cup debut in this contest. He made 10 appearances in World Cup qualifying for Japan. Suzuki posted a record of eight wins, two draws and no losses in those matches. In addition, he recorded eight clean sheets in those contests.
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Japan was the first team to qualify for the World Cup and because of that, they may be overlooked a bit. Losing Wataru Endo is a blow for the Samurai Blue but the Netherlands haven’t been up to par lately either. Memphis Depay and Verbruggen are both considered fit and ready to go for this contest, which is a shot in the arm. Still, the Netherlands’ attack hasn’t been overly impressive of late. Getting blanked by Algeria and pushed by Uzbekistan doesn’t instill a ton of confidence in the Oranje. The safe option here is to look for the draw as both sides are trying to muster an attack.
Our Prediction: Draw (DraftKings, +250)
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