AMSTERDAM (Interstat) — Netherlands and Japan meet Sunday in a World Cup group-stage match at Johan Cruyff Arena, with both teams seeking to build momentum after mixed results in qualifying.

The Netherlands, ranked sixth in the world, enters on a four-match unbeaten run dating to November. The Dutch last played on Nov. 17, 2025, routing Lithuania 4-0. That victory followed a 1-1 draw at Poland and a 4-0 win over Finland, part of a qualifying campaign in which the Netherlands scored 26 goals in seven matches while conceding only four. Coach Ronald Koeman’s side has shown depth in attack, with multiple scorers across those games, though the team struggled in a 3-2 win over Lithuania last September.

Japan, ranked 18th, arrives after a 1-1 draw at home against Jordan on April 18 — its only competitive match this year. The Samurai Blue’s form has been uneven: a 6-0 thrashing of Indonesia in June 2025 was followed by a 1-0 loss at Australia five days earlier. Hajime Moriyasu’s squad will rely on a defense that kept clean sheets in three of its last four qualifiers, but the attack must improve after managing just one goal against Jordan.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 1-1 draw, reflecting the evenly matched sides. The Netherlands holds a slight historical advantage, winning two of the past three meetings, but Japan earned a 1-1 draw in their most recent encounter during the 2022 World Cup group stage.

Both teams face quick turnarounds. Netherlands travels to face Sweden on June 20, then hosts Tunisia on June 25. Japan visits Tunisia on June 21, then hosts Sweden on June 25.

Kickoff is set for 8:45 p.m. local time (1845 GMT). The match will be played under mostly clear skies, with a high of 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) expected.