Japan eliminated Tunisia with a bumper 4-0 victory in the 1000th FIFA World Cup match whereas Curacao held South American heavyweights Ecuador 0-0 in an entertaining Group E encounter
Published: June 21, 2026, 2:27 PM IST
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Asia’s number 1 ranked team, Japan continued their red-hot form by securing a dominant 4-0 victory over Tunisia in what was a milestone 1,000th FIFA World Cup match at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico City. The victory helped the Blue Samurai go level on points with the Netherlands who thrashed Sweden 5-1 in the other Group F match.
Japan opened the scoring in the fourth minute when midfielder Daichi Kamada prodded home a squared cross from Keito Nakamura. The strike marked the fastest goal ever scored by a Japanese player in World Cup history. Forward Ayase Ueda doubled the lead in the 31st minute, striking a powerful shot from the edge of the box after finding open space in the Tunisian defense.
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The Asian side maintained control throughout the second half. Junya Ito added a third goal in the 69th minute, slotting a composed finish past Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen following a clever one-touch pass from Ueda.
Ueda completed the scoring in the 83rd minute with a well-placed header to secure his second goal of the match. The clinical performance capped off a historic night for Japan but their opponents Tunisia joined Turkiye and Haiti as the 3rd team to get eliminated from the 48-team tournament.
Curacao vs Ecuador
In Group E, Curacao earned their first FIFA World Cup point in their history by holding South American outfit Ecuador to a frustrating goalless draw at the Kansas City Stadium. The result was a massive boost to the the small Caribbean island nation, who are participating in the quadrennial event for the first time since while dealing a severe blow to Ecuador’s chances of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Ecuador dominated possession and created many scoring opportunities throughout the 90 minutes. However, they were repeatedly denied by an extraordinary goalkeeping performance from Curacao’s 37-year-old captain, Eloy Room.
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He made a total of 15 saves during the match, the 2nd most in a single game of World Cup history and the most ever recorded in a match that did not go into extra time.
Ecuador grew increasingly frustrated as the game progressed. Striker Enner Valencia missed a major opportunity from close range late in the second half, stopped by a crucial last-ditch tackle from defender Jurien Gaari.
In the final minutes of normal time, substitute Angelo Preciado came within inches of finding a dramatic winning goal, but his shot crashed against the post. Curaçao defended stubbornly through five minutes of stoppage time to secure the historic scoreless draw.
