FIFA World Cup 2026, Netherlands trounce Sweden 5-1: Key stats
21 Jun 2026

The Netherlands national football team has moved closer to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026. They achieved this by defeating Sweden 5-1 in their Group F match.

The victory was fueled by stellar performances from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, who both scored two goals each.

Ronald Koeman's side now has four points after drawing with Japan in their opening game, putting them firmly on track for qualification.

Brobbey steals the show in 1st half
Game changer

Brobbey made an instant impact on the biggest stage with two close-range finishes within 17 minutes.

His movement and physicality caused constant problems for Sweden's defense.

The Sunderland striker was too strong for Sweden's back three, cleverly bringing Tijjani Reijnders into play and allowing a switch left to Gakpo.

Gakpo equals Van Persie's record
Second half surge

Just after the break, Gakpo took center stage and scored two goals in quick succession.

The Liverpool forward's brace took his tally to five World Cup group-stage goals for the Netherlands, matching Robin van Persie's record as the country's top scorer in this phase of the tournament.

Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden but it was nothing more than a consolation as Crysencio Summerville sealed the game for Dutch with his second goal of the tournament.