Philly Sports Network rolls on with the World Cup Group Previews. Here is a look at Group F, featuring the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia.
This group has an interesting blend of potential sleeper and dark-horse teams. The Dutch are looking to go deeper than they did in 2022; Japan is knocking on the door of a potential quarterfinal or even semifinal appearance; Sweden brings emerging European talents looking to make their names on the international stage; and Tunisia is ready to upset another giant.
The Dutch enter the World Cup as a potential dark horse. They don't have the same aura as countries like France, Spain, or Argentina, but the Dutch are no strangers to pulling off upsets and shocking other teams.
The Dutch don't have any sexy names on attack, but they are deep with midfielders and defenders. Virgil van Dijk, still one of the best center-backs in the world, is the anchor on defense. The Dutch and Liverpool captain is the heartbeat of the squad. He possesses leadership, aerial dominance, and physicality. He knows where to position himself against attackers, which makes him nearly unstoppable on the backline.
The midfield is highlighted by Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, and Tijjani Reijnders.
Everything in the midfield will flow through de Jong. De Jong primarily plays as a central midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker. He also has the versatility to play as a defensive and a box-to-box midfielder. His prowess in the midfield allows him to make smart plays when receiving the ball under pressure and to dictate the tempo.
Ryan Gravenberch is the physical force of the midfield. He has excelled at Liverpool and has made himself one of the top midfielders in the Premier League at just 23 years old. His 6'3" frame allows him to be a brute on and off the ball. He's your standard box-to-box midfielder who isn't afraid to push up into the play and create offense.
Another threat in the midfield is Tijjani Reijnders of Manchester City. His stock has risen the most among Dutch players since joining City over the last year. His overall complete playstyle completes an already strong Dutch midfield. Rejinders can add an attacking spark by attacking tight spaces and making late runs into the penalty area.
Cody Gakpo is the main threat in attack. He scored in each of the group-stage matches in 2022 and scored three goals in six matches at Euro 2024. He's had a down year with Liverpool, scoring just seven times in Premier League play, but he always turns up for his country.
The Dutch should advance somewhat easily from Group F and make a run to the quarterfinals again. The country has never won a World Cup despite reaching the final three times, most recently in 2010. If Gakpo leads them on attack and the midfield plays to their strengths, they are a dark horse for sure.
Japan enters the World Cup as a squad with growing confidence, the ability to be sneaky, and as one of the more fun teams to follow. The Japanese arguably have their strongest-ever generation of players in Europe right now. They were the first team to qualify for the World Cup outside of the host countries.
This squad is built on a high-pressing structure and a technical midfield. An appearance in the quarterfinal looks to be the absolute minimum that Japan is going for.
Liverpool's Wataru Endo is the team captain and one of the players to watch out for. He's the foundation of the midfield structure. He's not a game-changer and someone who can single-handedly dominate a match, but his football IQ and relentlessness on defense are where he thrives.
He excels by winning balls in the midfield and using tactics to his advantage. Endo sometimes plays as another defender, which adds more stability to the backline.
On offense, Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad in La Liga is the attacking threat. The 24-year-old has been an emerging talent in Spain for a few years now. He was part of Real Madrid in 2019 before being sent out on multiple loans. He finally found a home with Real Sociedad in 2022 and has scored 25 goals in 164 appearances.
Kubo is a pacy winger who can find creativity in the final third and beat defenders 1v1. His responsibilities in this tournament will be even greater now that Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma is out of the squad due to injury.
In the midfield, Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada holds it down. Kamada is the tactical bridge for Japan, who always shows up in those decisive counterattacking opportunities from the opposition. His versatility in playing as an attacking or central midfielder gives Japan more leverage. He's the playmaker in Japan's midfield, capable of carrying the ball into the final third to create chances.
The expectation for Japan is to exit the group stage comfortably. The ceiling looks to be a quarterfinals appearance. If all things click on offense and fall into their place, sneaking into the semi-finals can be a possibility.
After barely qualifying for the World Cup, Sweden enters the tournament as a fascinating team to follow. A horrid qualifying campaign saw Sweden at the bottom of their UEFA Group with zero wins. They had earlier success in the UEFA Nations League in 2024-25, earning them a place in the qualification playoff route.
Graham Potter took over as manager before the playoff round and helped Sweden earn World Cup Qualification after defeating Ukraine 3-1 in the semi-final and then Poland 3-2 in the playoff final.
Despite almost missing the tournament, Sweden has a few emerging young talents who have been making names for themselves across Europe, most notably in the Premier League.
Sweden's biggest threats lie up top in the attack. The attack is highlighted by Arsenal's Viktor Gyökeres and Liverpool's Alexander Isak.
Viktor Gyökeres is the biggest star on the squad right now, even over Isak. The powerful striker carried Sweden through the playoffs, scoring four goals in two matches. When Gyökeres combines his speed, size, and strength, he can become unstoppable. He scored 14 goals in 36 matches in Premier League action during his first year with Arsenal this season, and five goals in 13 UEFA Champions League matches. Arsenal lost to PSG in the Champions League Final last Saturday.
Liverpool's Alexander Isak may not have had the stats Gyökeres had this past year, but he's naturally gifted nonetheless. Standing at 6'4", Isak is capable of beating defenders off of dribbles while also functioning as the typical classic striker.
His first season at Liverpool wasn't the most spectacular after signing a six-year contract for a record $170 million fee. Isak scored only three times for Liverpool in Premier League play and didn't score in seven Champions League matches. His first season with the Reds was derailed by a broken left ankle and fibula while scoring a goal against Tottenham in December. He returned in April.
The hope is that Isak will rediscover the former form that he had with Newcastle during the World Cup. If Isak can get going, Sweden might be able to pull off an upset somewhere.
The other rising star in the squad is Lucas Bergvall, a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur. The 20-year-old has featured in 78 matches for Tottenham since arriving in July of 2024. He's one of the youngest players on Sweden's team, but his bright future and playing ability make him look older than his years.
Bergvall possesses composure on the ball with calculated movement and creativity from the deeper areas of the pitch. Most of the focus will be on Gyökeres and Isak, but Bergvall will be playing a crucial role in the midfield.
Sweden has the chance to make this group interesting. All of the pressure will be on the Dutch, and Japan has high expectations. But for Sweden? They have nothing to lose. They almost weren't even here to begin with. The floor is not getting embarrassed, but the ceiling could be reaching the knockouts. Sweden is playing with house money, whether they think that's true or not.
Tunisia is the lowest-ranked team in Group F. They don't have nearly the star power as the other countries in the group, but that doesn't mean they should be totally underestimated.
Back in 2022, they finished third in Group D. They drew 0-0 with Denmark in their opening match, lost 1-0 to Australia in the second, and beat France 1-0 in their final game.
Tunisia is built around a defensive structure that focuses on discipline. They also have some impressive forwards on the attacking side of the ball. In their qualification campaign, Tunisia dominated CAF Group H. They went 9W-1D-0L, scoring 22 goals and conceding zero. Not many countries in the world dominated a qualifying group as they did.
Ellyes Skhiri is probably the most important player in the squad. He's the captain, and everything starts with him. The defensive midfielder is the primary anchor. He's an aerial force that wins duels and is a prime defensive contributor.
The 23-year-old Hannibal Mejbri of Burnley is another dynamic midfielder. Mejbri provides creativity as an attacking midfielder. He's aggressive when pressing, has a keen eye for passing, and is light with the ball on his feet. He played in 27 matches with Burnley this season, starting 15 of them. He scored one goal and contributed four assists in 1,231 minutes.
Up front, Elias Achouri will be Tunisia's attacking threat. Achouri is a fast, direct winger who can play on both the left and right sides. Achouri scored three goals and assisted three times for FC København in the Superligaen this past season. He started in 15 of the 20 matches he played and logged 1.303 total minutes.
It's not going to be an easy group for Tunisia, but they aren't strangers to beating a big name, like they did with France in 2022, though. It seems pretty unlikely that Tunisia will progress from Group F. Finishing 3rd or 4th looks realistic.
|
Game |
Date & Time |
Location |
TV/Streaming |
|
Netherlands vs Japan |
Sunday, June 14, |
AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
Fox, Fox One, Peacock, Telemundo, |
|
Sweden vs. Tunisia |
Sunday, June 14, |
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
FS1, Fox One, Peacock, Telemundo |
|
Game |
Date & Time |
Location |
TV/Streaming |
|
Netherlands vs. Sweden |
Saturday, June 20, |
NRG Stadium |
Fox, Fox One, Peacock, Telemundo |
|
Tunisia vs. Japan |
Sunday, June 20, 12 am ET |
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
FS1, Fox One, Peacock, Telemundo |
|
Game |
Date & Time |
Location |
TV/Streaming |
|
Japan vs. Sweden |
Thursday, June 25, |
AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
FS1, Fox One, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock |
|
Tunisia vs. Netherlands |
Thursday, June 25, |
GEHA Field, Kansas City |
Fox, Fox One, Telemundo, Peacock, TeleXitos |
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L
