World Cup: Japan Trounces Tunisia to Move a Step Closer to the Round of 32

Appearing in the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history, Japan delivered a performance worthy of the milestone.

Outplaying Tunisia from start to finish, the Samurai Blue have taken a big step toward clinching a spot in the round of 32 with a 4-0 triumph in the Group F clash on Saturday night, June 20 in Monterrey, Mexico. (The match kicked off at 1 PM JST on Sunday. It was the ideal time for afternoon watch parties at bars, restaurants and other locales throughout Japan.)

Japan's four-goal outburst was its highest-scoring performance in its 27 World Cup matches, the first of which it played in 1998.

What was its previous best-scoring effort?

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Japan defeated Denmark 3-1 in a Group E match.

Daichi Kamada, who scored the match-tying goal in a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on June 14, made history for Japan in its second match of the 2026 World Cup. His fourth-minute tally became the Samurai Blue's quickest-ever goal in a tournament match.

Kamada broke the previous record set by Shinji Kagawa, who scored in the sixth minute against Colombia, in 2018.

In Sunday's rout, Ayase Ueda had a pair of goals (31st and 83rd minutes), and Junya Ito also booted the ball into the net in the 69th.

With a draw and a win to open its World Cup campaign, Japan has pulled even with the Netherlands in the Group F standings. Both squads have four points.

After its draw with Japan, the Netherlands hammered Sweden 5-1 on June 20.

Tunisia, which dropped its World Cup opener 5-1 to Sweden, is the only squad in four-team Group F without a point.

An Element of Surprise

Ranked 54th in the world, Tunisia became the first squad to fire its manager after one match during a World Cup. Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed following the defeat to Sweden on June 14, with Frenchman Herve Renard taking over the managerial duties.

That said, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu was uncertain what tactics the new Tunisia boss would employ against his squad.

"We didn't know exactly what the opponents would do, but we didn't focus too much on them," Moriyasu said in an interview with DAZN. "Instead, we prepared well for what we wanted to do and played aggressively.

"Many Japanese supporters came here to Monterrey, sang the national anthem with us and cheered us on loudly. Their support was a huge boost for us."

Moriyasu expounded on his assessment of the match during a news conference.

"It was the thousandth World Cup match, a commemorative game watched by people around the world, and I'm glad we managed to win it," Moriyasu was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

"Tunisia happened to change their manager [before this game] and they were in a difficult situation tactically, which I feel helped us score a lot of goals."

An Unforgettable Match for Ueda

At the 2022 World Cup, Ueda appeared in all four of Japan's matches, but his total playing time was less than one hour in total. He was held scoreless in Qatar.

Now, at age 27, the Feyenoord Rotterdam striker has earned a more prominent role for the Samurai Blue.

On Saturday, Ueda appeared in his 41st international match for the Japan national team, making his 27th start. And he now has 18 goals for Japan in international competitions.

"[The first World Cup goal] felt totally different to all the ones I had scored before in terms of joy, sense of accomplishment and the weight of responsibility I've been carrying," Ueda said, according to Kyodo News.

He added, "The quality of my play is different from four years ago, and I'm playing with confidence."

Ueda's performance against Tunisia was a snapshot of the team's overall quality outing. The Samurai Blue were tenacious on defense, ran with purpose, found holes in the Tunisia defense and made pinpoint passes to create scoring chances again and again.

Ueda showcased his dynamic scoring touch on his first goal. He drilled an 18-yard strike (about 16.5 meters) between the legs of Tunisia defender Montassar Talbi and beyond the reach of goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen.

Captain Ko Itakura registered an assist on Ueda's first strike, which put Japan ahead 2-0.

A Fitting Finish for Ueda

Ueda, who led all scorers in the Dutch Eredivisie (the top league in the Netherlands) with 25 goals in the 2025-26 season, extended the advantage to 4-0, putting the finishing touches on Japan's rout.

On his second goal, Ueda exhibited a blend of exceptional timing and athleticism. Midfielder Kaishu Sano's cross from the right side found its intended target, with Ueda leaping and smashing the ball into the net in a smooth sequence of action.

He left the pitch to enthusiastic applause from Samurai Blue supporters and was replaced by substitute Keisuke Goto in the 84th minute.

Kamada Sets the Tone

In less time than it takes to finish a bowl of soup and a sandwich, Japan jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Tunisia.

Midfielder Keito Nakamura, who had Japan's first tying goal against the Netherlands, was the catalyst for the squad's first goal against Tunisia.

A French Ligue 2 player for Reims, Nakamura latched onto a pass from Ao Tanaka on the left side and moved past Tunisia's Yan Valery before delivering a centering pass to Kamada.

Standing near the net, Kamada tapped the ball past the Tunisia goalie in the fourth minute.

Kamada was fired up after the play, and he did a "phone pose" in honor of his Crystal Palace teammate Eddie Nketiah, who has battled injuries in recent months.

"He's been struggling with a lot of injuries this season, and he told me, 'Do that if you score in the Premier League,' " Kamada said, according to Sankei Sports.

"Since I hadn't been able to score in the Premier League, I told him, 'I'll do it if I score in the World Cup.' I did it for him.' "

In addition to honoring his English Premier League teammate, Kamada was excited to ignite his team in the early part of its match against Tunisia.

"We were able to break down the defense with good build-up play, just as we had planned," Kamada said, according to the Japanese-language sports newspaper. "As the number 10, I was thinking about getting into the box, so I’m glad I was able to score."

Moriyasu: 'We Had to Stay Focused'

As noted above, Junya Ito, who was named to the starting lineup in place of injured midfielder Takefusa Kubo (left knee), also scored.

And before he did, Ueda displayed his passing acumen, flicking the ball in Ito's direction.

Wasting no time, Ito outworked Tunisia defender Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida to create space between him and the goal, then unleashed a rolling shot that found its target: the bottom right corner of the net.

Ito's second-half strike provided a glimpse of his team's all-out effort in this match, as it responded to the coaching staff's challenge to elevate its performance.

"The players understood what we wanted from them," Moriyasu said after the match, Kyodo News reported. "They also reflected on the first match themselves and wanted to show what they had learned through their performance.

"We knew we had to stay focused for this match. They felt the tension and the need to perform, and I think that showed today."

Praise for the Samurai Blue

A day before the Japan-Tunisia match, Tunisia manager Renard and captain Ellyes Skhiri, a midfielder, shared their opinions about their weekend opponent.

"Maybe I am insisting too much … [but] our collective spirit must be perfect to face this team," Renard said, according to Reuters.

"They play as one and they are very disciplined," Skhiri told reporters.

A Look Ahead

Japan meets Sweden on Thursday, June 25 (8 AM JST on Friday) in Arlington, Texas. For the Samurai Blue, a win or a draw against the Scandinavian squad will give them a spot in the round of 32.

On the same day, Tunisia takes on the Netherlands in Kansas City, Missouri.

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.