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's fans once again captured the world's admiration after clearing thrash from the stands following their Group F match against the Netherlands on Sunday.
The Netherlands secured a dominant 5-1 victory over Sweden in a World Cup match, with Brian Brobbey scoring an early double and Cody Gakpo adding two more in the second half. Crysencio Summerville sealed the rout with a late goal, despite Anthony Elanga pulling one back for Sweden. This win places the Netherlands at the top of Group F.
Japan's coach Hajime Moriyasu expressed confidence ahead of their World Cup last-32 clash against Brazil in Houston, stating his team will not be pushovers. He cited their previous 3-2 victory over Brazil as proof of their progress and readiness to challenge the five-time champions. Japan secured their spot by finishing second in Group F after a 1-1 draw with Sweden, a result Moriyasu strategically preserved. He also highlighted the significance of Japan's advancement for Asian football and the growth of the sport in his country.
Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman stood by his tactical decisions and substitutions after Japan struck late to earn a 2-2 draw in their opening Group F match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday.
Brazil's World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Japan on Monday comes with the chance for revenge for Carlo Ancelotti's squad and a test of how far he has taken his team since a Tokyo collapse early in his tenure.
Japan v Tunisia marks 1,000th FIFA World Cup match
Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh believes his side is capable of ending the country's five-decade-long World Cup medal drought, drawing parallels with the team's success at the Tokyo Olympics.
Following a dominant group stage performance, Argentina is now preparing to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
France's formidable attack has propelled them through the World Cup group stage, but coach Didier Deschamps is focused on resolving issues on the team's left side before their Round of 32 match against Sweden.
Dhakshineswar Suresh wins fifth rubber against Guy De Oden to lead India to 3-2 win over higher-ranked Netherlands in Davis Cup Qualifiers.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams discover their opponents for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.
In other first-round qualifying matches, Indians Dev Javia and Adil Kalyanpur put up spirited performances but were edged out in three-set battles by higher-ranked opponents, Dominik Palan and Eero Vasa, respectively.
The Indian senior women's hockey team will tour Argentina for a four-match series in Buenos Aires, offering crucial preparation for the FIH Hockey World Cup and Asian Games later this year.
Next year's 48-team World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
India's women's hockey team is preparing for the World Cup and Asian Games with a mix of overseas tours, competitive exposure, and national camps, according to chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.
Spain cannot meet Argentina and France will not face England before the World Cup final - provided they win their groups - after FIFA on Tuesday announced the draw procedure.
The final teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out which teams have qualified and their group stage assignments.
Navneet Kaur struck from a penalty corner seconds before the final hooter as India came from behind twice to hold defending champions Japan to a 2-2 draw
Italy's World Cup drought continues after a playoff loss to Bosnia, while the Czech Republic and Sweden secured their spots in the tournament with dramatic victories over Denmark and Poland, respectively.
Doubles is not a sideshow: Yuki Bhambri on re-invention and right support
The Indian women's hockey team qualified for the Asia Cup final despite playing out a 1-1 draw against Japan after hosts China beat Korea 1-0 in the last match.
The 2026 World Cup will kick off-on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium - iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals - followed by South Korea against a play-off winner after the complex draw was made on Friday.
Alex Michelsen hung on to defeat Tung-Lin Wu and help the United States take a 2-0 lead against Taiwan in the Davis Cup qualifier in Taipei City on Friday.
Davis Cup heavyweights Australia and the United States eased through the first qualifying round on Saturday but Britain were knocked out as Japan hit back from 2-1 down to win 3-2, while Denmark staged a dramatic comeback to overcome Serbia.
India are clubbed alongside Pakistan in Pool B in Junior Men's Hockey World Cup to be held in Chennai and Madurai.
Hockey: India seek World Cup berth through Asia Cup triumph; up against China in opener
Treesa and Gayatri, seeded fourth, will be the lone Indian challenge left in women's doubles in Basel after Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra and Varshini Viswanath Sri-Arathi Sara Sunil lost their opening-round matches.
Saudi Arabia took third place in Group C and will feature in a fourth phase of qualifiers in October alongside Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Oman.
India have been clubbed with Olympic champions Belgium, mighty Australia, Rio Games gold medallist Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
Japan's quest to reach a third consecutive women's World Cup final began with a frustrating goalless draw against unheralded Argentina in Paris on Monday.
Spain and Japan have six points and will play each other on Monday for top spot in the group
Hosts India drawn with England, Spain and Wales in Pool D of FIH World Cup
The Indian men's hockey wound up its league stage engagements at the Olympics with a 4-2 victory over Japan and consolidated second place in Group A, behind Australia, on Friday.
Third seed Andrey Rublev suffered a first round exit after his Qatar Open title, losing to qualifier Quentin Halys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) at the Dubai Open on Tuesday.
The event was originally scheduled to be held from May 16-24 last year but was postponed to August 15-23. Later it was further delayed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reigning men's Olympic hockey champions Belgium beat New Zealand 2-1 on Sunday as the Red Lions took the lead in the Pool B standings after a twisting shot found the top corner of the goal, salvaging the win after a sluggish performance.
Netherlands may be among the favourites to win the World Cup but they suffered a scare on Saturday when they narrowly avoided defeat by Japan in their first match since completing qualification for next year's finals.
The draw for the eight groups for the final round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will be played from June 12 to July 13 in Brazil, was just held in Costa do Saupe near Salvador de Bahia.
The FIFA World Cup knock-out phase kicks-off on Saturday in Qatar. Here's an overview of the teams advancing to the last 16.
