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FIFA World Cup 2026: The Netherlands revived their FIFA World Cup 2026 bid at the NRG Stadium, ripping apart a fancied Sweden side 5-1 in a ruthless Group F display on 20th June. After a frustrating opening draw against Japan, boss Ronald Koeman took a tactical gamble – and his high-risk bet became an absolute masterclass.

24-year-old Sunderland frontman Brian Brobbey was the focal point of that transition. The Dutch were given a heavily physical presence up top with Brobbey brought into the starting XI and he terrorised the Swedish backline from the opening whistle. He opened the floodgates in just five minutes, tapping in a low, driven cross from Cody Gakpo with predatory instincts. Sweden, fresh from an emphatic five-goal display of their own against Tunisia, attempted to respond but were caught out ruthlessly in transition once more. Wingback Denzel Dumfries sent a low ball into the box in the 17th minute and Brobbey easily shrugged off his marker to slot home his second.

Sweden had a fleeting moment of thinking they had manufactured a lifeline just before the half-time whistle when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed home past Bart Verbruggen, but the linesman’s flag was correctly raised for a marginal offside.

Any hopes of a dramatic second-half comeback for Graham Potter’s side were ripped apart in nine second-half minutes. Cody Gakpo was the star of the show for Liverpool, from supplier to executioner. He scored his first in the 47th minute and finished off a clinical counter-attack to complete his own double in the 54th minute, extending the deficit to an insurmountable 4-0.

Potter turned to his bench and substitute Anthony Elanga offered a glimmer of a silver lining by smashing a fine consolidation goal past Verbruggen in the 59th minute. Sweden continued to press for a better goal difference and Alexander Isak was denied by a stunning last-gasp save from Verbruggen.

But the Dutchmen, in their clinical way, had the last word. Substitute Crysencio Summerville came in from the left and left his defender for dead before fizzing a lovely, low finish into the bottom far corner to add late garnish to a historic scoreline. The Oranje march on with renewed momentum but a shell shocked Sweden must now pick up the pieces ahead of a high pressure final group game against Japan.

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