Netherlands thrash Sweden 5-1 in World Cup 2026 qualifier

The Netherlands delivered a commanding performance, crushing Sweden 5-1 in their World Cup 2026 Group F encounter at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Dutch offense was relentless, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo netting two goals each, complemented by a strike from Crysencio Summerville.

Brobbey opened the scoring in the fifth minute, capitalizing on a pass from Gakpo, and doubled the lead in the 17th minute from a Denzel Dumfries assist. Sweden attempted to rally, with attempts from Viktor Gyokeres and a disallowed goal by Gustaf Lagerbielke for offside, but Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen stood firm.

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I did not expect the match to go like this, but we have to learn from this.

In the second half, the Netherlands continued their onslaught. Gakpo extended the lead to 3-0 in the 47th minute, assisted by Dumfries again, and then scored his second goal in the 54th minute after receiving a pass from Summerville. Although Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden in the 59th minute, Summerville sealed the dominant victory with a goal in the 89th minute.

Following the match, Sweden's coach Graham Potter expressed surprise at the decisive scoreline, stating it was a crucial learning experience for his team. He identified weaknesses in defending against wing attacks, noting that the first goal stemmed from a long pass his team mishandled. Sweden now faces Japan in their final group match, needing a win to advance.

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They made it difficult for us on the wings. The first goal came from a long pass that we did not handle well.