Japan delivered a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia in the World Cup's 1,000th match on Saturday to move to the brink of the knockout stages, while the North Africans were eliminated after a second successive defeat in Group F.
Japan showed their battling qualities to eke out a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener on Sunday, as Hajime Moriyasu's side backed up their desire to make an impact at the tournament with a gritty display.
Japan staged a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat five-times world champions Brazil 3-2 in a friendly at a sold-out Tokyo Stadium on Tuesday.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Lyon thump Maccabi Tel Aviv to go top, Forest keep on winning
The win guarantees Japan a top-two finish in the standings and sees them qualify for an eighth straight World Cup.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Brazil shocked and other big upsets at World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday
The 2015 and 2016 Copa champions took the lead late in the first half with a towering header from midfielder Erick Pulgar.
Barcelona made a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign by losing 2-1 to AS Monaco on Thursday.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday.
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday night.
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
