The Netherlands national football team managed to preserve their remarkable World Cup record despite being held to a draw by Japan in their opening Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The clash between the two sides took place in the first Group F fixture at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States, on Monday (15 June 2026) early morning local time.

In that encounter, the Dutch team had to settle for a single point after being pegged back by Japan in a 2-2 draw.

After a goalless first half, De Oranje broke the deadlock in the 51st minute through a powerful header from Virgil van Dijk.

However, their lead was short-lived as Keito Nakamura equalised for Japan with a sharp finish in the 57th minute.

Ronald Koeman’s men reclaimed the advantage in the 64th minute when Crysencio Summerville found the back of the net.

But as full-time approached, the Blue Samurai struck again, with Daichi Kamada diverting a header from Koki Ogawa in the 89th minute to level the score at 2-2.

As a result, the Netherlands had to accept a disappointing draw against Japan, earning only one point from their first group-stage outing.

Despite missing out on victory, Memphis Depay and his teammates managed to maintain their outstanding record in opening World Cup matches.

According to a report from Squawka, the draw allowed the Netherlands to extend their unbeaten streak in opening fixtures of the World Cup group stage.

Historically, De Oranje have appeared in 12 editions of the prestigious tournament, namely in 1934, 1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022, and 2026.

Only the 1934 and 1938 editions lacked a group stage format, meaning the Netherlands began directly from the Round of 16.

In the remaining 10 editions, the Dutch campaign always began with a group-stage match, and remarkably, they have never lost their opening fixture in those tournaments, recording 7 wins and 3 draws.

This statistic gives the Netherlands the longest unbeaten streak in opening group-stage matches among all nations in World Cup history.

The Dutch opened their 1974 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Uruguay, followed by a 3-0 win against Iran in 1978.

Their unbeaten run continued with a 1-1 draw against Egypt in 1990, a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in 1994, and a commanding 5-0 triumph over South Korea in 1998.

The impressive record was extended further with a 1-0 win against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, a 2-1 victory over Denmark in 2010, a stunning 5-1 demolition of Spain in 2014, and a 2-0 win over Senegal in 2022.

In the 2026 edition, the two-time World Cup runners-up continued this proud tradition by drawing 2-2 with Japan in their opening group match.

While the Netherlands successfully maintained their unbeaten record, the draw against the Blue Samurai serves as an early warning sign for Koeman’s men in the 2026 group stage.

The stalemate now puts pressure on them to secure wins in their remaining two Group F fixtures to ensure progression to the knockout rounds.

However, that task could be challenging, as they are set to face two formidable dark horses—Sweden and Tunisia—in their upcoming matches.