Netherlands moved to the verge of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after producing a dominant 5-1 victory over Sweden in their second Group F match, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scoring twice in a commanding performance at a sea of orange inside Houston Stadium, Houston.
Ronald Koeman’s side climbed to four points after two matches, putting themselves in an excellent position to secure qualification ahead of their final group fixture against Tunisia.
Koeman raised eyebrows before kick-off by handing Brian Brobbey the starting striker’s role, while Donyell Malen started on the right and Crysencio Summerville began on the bench.
Brobbey opened the scoring in just the sixth minute, finishing from close range after an incisive move involving Bart Verbruggen, Tijjani Reijnders, and Cody Gakpo, who delivered a precise cross for the Sunderland forward to convert.
The Dutch striker doubled the advantage in the 17th minute, this time sliding home an inviting delivery from Denzel Dumfries after another flowing Oranje attack.
The Netherlands were full of energy throughout the opening stages, with Ryan Gravenberch, Reijnders, and Frenkie de Jong driving the midfield and overwhelming Sweden with relentless movement and pressing.
Sweden gradually found their rhythm after the first-half cooling break, with head coach Graham Potter adjusting his tactical setup by moving Alexander Isak behind Viktor Gyökeres.
The change briefly shifted momentum, forcing Verbruggen into impressive saves from Gyökeres and Yasin Ayari. Sweden also thought they had pulled one back before halftime, only for Gustaf Lagerbielke’s header to be ruled out for offside.
Koeman made another successful tactical move at halftime by introducing Crysencio Summerville, and the substitute made an immediate impact.
Within minutes, Summerville released Dumfries down the right, and the wing-back’s cross found Gakpo, who calmly slotted home to make it 3-0.
The Liverpool forward struck again shortly afterwards, cutting inside from the left before firing a powerful finish into the near corner after another assist from Summerville.
The brace took Gakpo’s World Cup tally to five career goals, moving him closer to the Netherlands’ all-time World Cup scoring leaders.
Sweden managed a consolation after the hour mark when substitute Anthony Elanga sprinted clear on the counterattack and beat Verbruggen to reduce the deficit to 4-1.
Verbruggen produced several key saves to preserve the Dutch advantage before Summerville crowned his excellent cameo with a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area in the closing stages, sealing an emphatic 5-1 victory.
Excluding penalty shootouts, Oranje are now unbeaten in their last 14 FIFA World Cup matches (nine wins, five draws), surpassing Brazil’s previous record of 13 consecutive unbeaten World Cup games.
Brobbey’s second goal also marked the Netherlands’ 100th goal in FIFA World Cup history, adding another memorable chapter to Dutch football’s rich legacy.
With four points from two matches, the Netherlands have placed themselves firmly in control of Group F and need only complete the job against Tunisia to officially book their place in the knockout rounds.
Sweden, meanwhile, face an uphill battle to keep their World Cup hopes alive after suffering a heavy defeat.
Credit Photo : KNVB
