Japan and Sweden played out a 1-1 draw in their final Group F match in Dallas. After a goalless first half, the contest heated up in the second half with end-to-end action. With this draw, Japan secured a spot in the Round of 32 as group runners-up, setting up a clash with Brazil. Meanwhile, Sweden could face France in the knockout stage.

Japan broke the deadlock after the break. In the 56th minute, Daizen Maeda put his team ahead with a clinical finish following a superb defense-splitting pass from Ritsu Doan. However, Japan’s lead was short-lived. Anthony Elanga equalized for Sweden in the 62nd minute; cutting inside from the right flank, the forward beat Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki with a magnificent curling left-footed shot from the corner of the box.

Towards the end of the match, both teams introduced substitutes in search of a winning goal. Sweden nearly snatched the victory in stoppage time; had goalkeeper Suzuki not brilliantly tipped Isak’s powerful header from Aiyari’s corner onto the crossbar, the ‘Blue Samurai’ would have suffered a defeat. Ultimately, the thrilling encounter—featuring 51% possession for Sweden and eight attacks from Japan—ended with the points shared.