Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons, and Brian Brobbey scored as the Netherlands topped Group F with seven points, while Tunisia exited at the group stage for the sixth time in their history
The Netherlands secured a commanding 3-1 victory over Tunisia at Arrowhead Kansas City Stadium on Tuesday, comfortably claiming the top spot in Group F at the 2026 World Cup.
The Oranje mapped out an early advantage in the 14th minute. Tijjani Reijnders carried the ball through midfield and slipped a perfect pass to Cody Gakpo, who cut inside from the left and blasted a low right-footed effort into the bottom corner. The lead was doubled before the break in the 39th minute when Brian Brobbey showed excellent strength to hold up the ball in the box, rolling his marker and laying it off for Xavi Simons to side-foot home cleanly from 10 yards out.
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Tunisia ignited hope for a comeback in the 64th minute when a careless turnover from Joey Veerman allowed substitute Anis Ben Slimane to break. He fired a low cross into the six-yard box, and Elias Achouri reacted quickest to poke it past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The Dutch wrapped up the points in the 82nd minute when Donyell Malen drove down the right flank and delivered a beautifully weighted cross to the back post, allowing substitute Joshua Zirkzee to smash it into the roof of the net.
The Netherlands dominated possession with 65 percent and registered 17 shots, eight on target, while Tunisia managed six shots, two on target. Dutch passing accuracy stood at 91 percent compared to Tunisia’s 76 percent.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, the match marked the first-ever competitive fixture between the Netherlands and Tunisia at a senior World Cup. With this defeat, Tunisia has still failed to progress past the group stage phase in all six of their historical World Cup appearances. The Netherlands will face one of the top third-placed teams in the Round of 32.
Before Kickoff
Venue and Kickoff Time
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- Stadium: Arrowhead Kansas City Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Kickoff: 23:00 GMT
⚽ Pre-Match Analysis
📋 Predicted Lineups
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- Tunisia Starting XI: Dahmen; Kechrida, Meriah, Talbi, Abdi; Skhiri, Laidouni, Ben Romdhane; Msakni, Achouri, Jouini.
- Netherlands Starting XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Aké; Schouten, Reijnders; Frimpong, Simons, Gakpo; Depay.
📊 Match Facts and Head-to-Head (H2H)
- H2H Record: This is the first senior World Cup matchup between the Netherlands and Tunisia.
- Key Fact: The Netherlands currently leads their group quadrant with a superior +4 goal differential.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Last Updated on June 26, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
