Japan secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Monterrey, eliminating the Eagles of Carthage from the tournament. Ayase Ueda starred with two goals and an assist, while Tunisia managed only two shots throughout the 90 minutes.
Match Context and Stakes
The match carried major consequences for both teams. Japan needed a convincing win to keep pace with the Netherlands, who had thrashed Sweden 5-1 earlier in the day. For Tunisia, defeat would end their hopes of reaching the Round of 32. Japan cruised to victory, leaving Tunisia as the third team eliminated from the tournament after Haiti and Turkiye.
First Half Dominance by Japan
Tunisia, playing their first match under new coach Herve Renard, made three changes to the starting lineup. Renard replaced goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh with Aymen Dahmen after Chamakh's lackluster showing against Sweden. Rani Khedira and Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida were relegated to the bench, with Dylan Bronn and Sebastian Tounekti taking their places. Tunisia maintained a back five but Tounekti led the line as a lone striker, with Hannibal Mejbri and Elias Saad on the wings.
An early curling effort from Hannibal in the third minute whistled over the bar, but it was Tunisia's only sight of goal in the first half. A minute later, Japan took the lead. A quick attack found Ao Tanaka between the lines, who released Keito Nakamura near the byline. Nakamura's low cross deflected off Daichi Kamada and into the net. Japan immediately pushed for a second, with Ueda becoming the focal point. In the eighth minute, he fought off Montassar Talbi to win a long ball, carried it into the penalty area, and squared across goal, but Bronn slid in to clear for a corner.
Japan came millimeters away from doubling their advantage from that corner. Ueda stabbed the ball toward goal, and it ricocheted into the path of Dahmen, who clawed it off the line before kicking away the rebound. Goal-line technology later confirmed, by the narrowest of margins, that the ball had not crossed. Ueda eventually got his goal shortly after the hydration break. Another line-breaking pass through the center found him just outside Tunisia's area with only Bronn standing in his way. Ueda assessed his options before firing into the far corner, leaving Dahmen with no chance.
Second Half and Renard's Changes
On the touchline, Renard was visibly frustrated. Against Sweden, Tunisia had created chances and scored in the first half, but against Japan they were being comprehensively outplayed. Renard responded with a host of changes after the break, introducing Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida and Ismael Gharbi at halftime, then bringing on Firas Chaouat shortly after the hour mark. Aside from a half-chance in the 49th minute and with Japan noticeably less aggressive, the changes failed to have the desired impact.
Japan effectively sealed the result moments before the second hydration break. Tanaka picked out Ueda between the lines from deep, and the striker produced a perfectly weighted flick into the path of Junya Ito, who held off Ben Hmida before finishing beyond Dahmen to make it 3-0. Ueda added his second of the night and Japan's fourth in the 84th minute, rising at the far post to meet a Kaishu Sano cross. Anis Slimane attempted to clear the header off the line but failed to make contact as the ball drifted into the net.
Elimination and Remaining Match
With this defeat, Tunisia's hopes of reaching the Round of 32 are officially over. The Eagles of Carthage become the third team eliminated from the tournament, after Haiti and Turkiye. One match remains, when Tunisia face the Netherlands at 2 a.m. KSA time on June 26.
