World Cup 2026 Group F preview: Prediction, odds, full team overviews
The Netherlands is the powerhouse in Group F, but Japan will have the Dutch on upset watch.Tunisia and Sweden are likely to vie for third.The Post previews Group F at the World Cup:Teams listed in predicted order of finish.
Odds to win the group: +250What you need to know: Having lost heartbreakers in the Round of 16 at consecutive World Cups, the Samurai Blue have developed a reputation for giant-killing, with wins over Germany, Spain and Colombia in those two tournaments.Winning a knockout game is the next step for Hajime Moriyasu’s side as he leads Japan in a third straight World Cup.
He’ll bring a deep side with quality throughout: Takefusa Kubo, Ao Tanaka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Wataru Endo and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki are among the players who make up Japan’s core group.How they play: Fun, fast, effective.Though Japan can switch to a low block when needed, it prefers a high press and fast ball movement.
Japan transitions quickly and can counterattack lethally against more talented teams but has plenty of technical ability — especially on the wings in Moriyasu’s 3-4-2-1 base.The Samurai Blue are vulnerable against physical teams that can beat them in the air.Star player: Kubo, a 24-year-old winger who plays for Real Sociedad at the club level, has some breakout potential at this World Cup.
He’s an excellent passer, a creative dribbler, and Japan will depend on him to break through the inevitable deadlocks that come in a World Cup.World Cup history: Before 1998, Japan had never played in a World Cup.Since then, they’ve been quadrennial fixtures at the competition and rarely an easy out.
Japan has evolved past the phase where making it out of the group can be considered a success, though.They’ll need to win a knockout game — and preferably two, given the expanded field this year — to hit that bar.Odds: -125What you need to know: After a disappointing run through the 2010s, the nadir of which came in failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, O...