Japan routed Tunisia 4-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match on June 21, with Junya Ito scoring one of four goals as the Samurai Blue advanced and eliminated the North African side from the tournament.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the fourth minute, flicking in a left-wing center at the near post. Ayase Ueda doubled Japan’s lead with a strike from 18 yards that nestled in the bottom-left corner, and Ito made it 3-0 in the 69th minute, rolling a finish past Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen. Ueda sealed the dominant performance with a header in the 83rd minute off a right-wing delivery.
The result saw Japan move above Sweden into second place in Group F with four points from two matches, while Tunisia remained fourth with zero points after two losses. Tunisia’s elimination came just days after they sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi following a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match. New coach Hervé Renard, appointed for his debut, could not prevent the heavy loss.
The match marked the 1,000th game in FIFA World Cup history, a milestone achieved at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey with an attendance of 51,243. Japan dominated possession at 62 percent and created 11 shots with five on target, registering an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.07. Tunisia managed just two shots with an xG of 0.05, according to ESPN’s match statistics.
Japan’s victory represents the largest margin of victory for an Asian nation in a World Cup match. The Samurai Blue, unbeaten in eight games heading into the tournament, now face Sweden in their final group match, while Tunisia will play the Netherlands as their World Cup campaign concludes.
Sources
- ESPN — Final score, goal scorers, match statistics, and tournament standings
- FOX Sports — Video confirmation of Junya Ito’s goal and match highlights
- The New York Times — Match report and context on Tunisia’s coaching change
- TouchlineX (X/Twitter) — Confirmation of 4-0 final score and Tunisia’s elimination
