The Netherlands dealt Sweden a taste of their own medicine with a dominant 5-1 victory, inspired by braces from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo.
The Netherlands announced themselves as genuine contenders at the 2026 World Cup with a ruthless 5-1 victory over Sweden, a result that sent Ronald Koeman’s side to the top of Group F and extended their remarkable unbeaten run on football’s biggest stage.
Three points secured for Oranje 🦁#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 20, 2026
Koeman made a bold selection call before kickoff by handing Brian Brobbey a starting role ahead of Crysencio Summerville. The decision paid off almost immediately as the striker delivered a devastating first-half display that left Sweden chasing the game from the opening minutes.
The breakthrough arrived when Brobbey controlled a long ball and combined brilliantly with Tijjani Reijnders. The midfielder released Cody Gakpo down the left flank, and his low cross was expertly converted by Brobbey from close range.
Sweden barely had time to recover before the striker struck again, turning home Denzel Dumfries’ dangerous delivery to register both his second goal of the game and the Netherlands’ 100th goal in World Cup history.
Sweden attempted to respond and came close through Viktor Gyokeres, whose effort forced Bart Verbruggen into an excellent save. The first-half cooling break allowed the Scandinavians to regroup, and they returned with greater attacking intent, but a lack of composure in front of goal repeatedly undermined their efforts. Yasin Ayari, in particular, found promising positions but could not provide the finishing touch his side desperately needed.
The match continued at a frantic pace, with opportunities appearing at both ends. Gakpo and Gyokeres both tested the opposing goalkeepers, while Donyell Malen wasted a golden chance to effectively end the contest before halftime.
Sweden thought they had found a route back into the game when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed home from a free-kick, only for the celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Any lingering hopes of a Swedish comeback disappeared almost immediately after the restart. Dumfries once again delivered a dangerous low ball across the penalty area, and although Brobbey failed to connect, Gakpo was perfectly positioned to bundle home the Netherlands’ third goal.
Seven minutes later, the Liverpool forward completed his brace after being set up by substitute Summerville, firing a powerful strike beyond Kristoffer Nordfeldt at the near post.
Clinical 👆#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/I66ibdeM4D
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 20, 2026
To their credit, Sweden refused to surrender. Ayari continued to threaten from distance before Alexander Isak produced a clever pass to send Anthony Elanga through on goal. The winger kept his composure to score Sweden’s only goal of the match and briefly give the travelling supporters something to cheer about.
However, the Netherlands had the final word. Summerville capped an outstanding cameo appearance by drilling a low effort into the bottom corner from outside the box to complete the 5-1 rout.
The victory extended the Dutch unbeaten run at the World Cup to 14 matches, excluding penalty shootouts, surpassing a record previously held by Brazil. For Sweden, meanwhile, defensive concerns continue to mount after another heavy defeat, leaving them with work to do if they are to secure a place in the Round of 32.
