Braces from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo saw Netherlands thrash Sweden 5-1 to top Group F at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Brobbey fired the Netherlands into a fifth-minute lead from Gakpo’s cross, before he netted his second goal just 12 minutes later from Denzel Dumfries’ 17th-minute cross.
Dumfries then provided a similar assist for Gakpo’s 47th-minute strike from close range, whilst Gakpo went on to complete his brace just seven minutes later through a clinical finish from Crysencio Summerville’s initial pass.
Summerville then sealed the Netherlands’ victory with a 89th-minute strike after Anthony Elanga had pulled a goal back for Sweden in the 59th minute.
Netherlands now sit top of Group F on four points and ahead of Sweden by one point, whilst Japan will play Tunisia in the last game of the day (5am BST, Sunday 21 June).
Having endured a frustrating 2-2 draw in their Group F opener against Japan in which they led twice, Netherlands needed just five minutes to settle as Brobbey chested down Bart Verbruggen’s long goal-kick, which led him to play the ball out to Gakpo via Tijjani Reijnders’ touch.
Brobbey subsequently drove forward and was able to calmly tap Gakpo’s cross into the net from close range to put the Netherlands in front.
Verbruggen however spared the Dutch’s blushes a minute later as he blocked Viktor Gyokeres’ shot.
Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands soon afterward secured a dominant grip on the game as Gakpo saw a header saved, whilst Reijnders’ shot was saved by Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Netherlands eventually got their reward in the 17th minute as Dumfries whipped in a cross from the right flank, which Brobbey was able to flick into the far-left bottom corner to double their lead with his second goal.
Sweden eventually settled but Yasin Ayari chested Gyokeres’ cross wide in the 29th minute, before he fired over 12 minutes later after Verbruggen had saved two shots from Gyokeres.
Gustaf Lagerbielke briefly halved Sweden’s deficit early in the 45th minute but his goal was chalked offside, whilst Verbruggen punched a free-kick by Gyokeres away from the bottom right corner in the third minute of injury time.
Verbruggen then denied Ayari’s low shot towards the left corner in the fifth minute of injury time, which protected the Netherlands’ lead into half time.
Koeman’s Dutch however killed the tie off just two minutes into the second half as Dumfries played an one-two exchange of passes with substitute – Summerville, before he teed up Gakpo to poke his low cross in to further extend their lead.
Netherlands heaped further misery upon their Swedish opposition in the 54th minute as Gakpo picked up Summerville’s pass and after a couple of side-steps, he smashed his shot into his near-left corner to complete his brace.
Sweden however responded five minutes later as Elanga pounced upon a through ball from Isak and smashed his strike past a stranded Verbruggen to reduce the 1958 runner-up’s deficit.
Netherlands subsequently soaked up Sweden’s pressure as Verbruggen blocked Isak’s curled 84th-minute strike, then saved a follow-up strike from Besfort Zeneli after a corner had been cleared.
Summerville wrapped up the Netherlands’ victory with a 89th-minute strike from Memphis Depay’s pass to put the Dutch on course for a top-two finish in the group.
What’s Next?
Netherlands face Tunisia in their final group match at Arrowhead Stadium, Kanas, on Thursday 25 June at 6pm CDT (01:00am CEST, Friday 26 June).
Sweden will also be in action at the same time as they face Japan at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, on the same date.
Teams
Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen, Denzel Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie De Jong (Koopmeiners 59′), Tijjani Reijnders (Til 59′), Donyell Malen (Summerville 46′), Brian Brobbey (Depay 72′), Cody Gakpo (Lang 90′)
Substitutes: Nathan Ake, Memphis Depay, Mark Flekken, Lutsharel Geertruida, Jorrel Hato, Justin Kluivert, Teun Koopmeiners, Noa Lang, Robin Roefs, Crysencio Summerville, Guus Til, Wout Weghorst, Mats Wieffer, Marten de Roon
Sweden: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Isak Hien, Victor Lindelöf, Jesper Karlstrom (Zeneli 56′), Alexander Bernhardsson (Elanga 55′), Benjamin Nygren (Bergvall 56′), Yasin Ayari (Ali 79′), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Stroud 93′), Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak
Substitutes: Taha Ali, Lucas Bergvall, Anthony Elanga, Viktor Johansson, Herman Johansson, Gustaf Nilsson, Ken Sema, Eric Smith, Carl Starfelt, Elliot Stroud, Mattias Svanberg, Daniel Svensson, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Besfort Zeneli
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