Japan dismantled Tunisia 4-0 on June 20, 2026, at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, sending the North African side packing from the World Cup with zero points from two group-stage matches.

The result was never really in doubt. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in just the 4th minute. Ayase Ueda added a second in the 31st minute before Junya Ito made it 3-0 in the 69th. Ueda then completed his brace in the 83rd minute to round out the demolition.

A milestone match with a lopsided scoreline

This was officially the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history, a milestone spanning nearly a century of tournament football.

Japan moved to 4 points in the group stage, having previously drawn with the Netherlands. Tunisia’s tournament, by contrast, is over. Two matches played, two losses suffered, zero points earned. Their group-stage campaign opened with a 5-1 defeat to Sweden, and this 4-0 loss to Japan means they conceded nine goals across their two completed fixtures.

What this means for the group and beyond

For Tunisia, the post-mortem will be brutal. A 5-1 loss to Sweden followed by a 4-0 loss to Japan represents a combined 9-1 goal deficit across two matches. The Eagles of Carthage came into the tournament with hopes of replicating their competitive showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they gave France a scare and held Denmark to a draw.

Japan’s 4-point haul from two matches, a draw against the Netherlands and this commanding win over Tunisia, puts them in a favorable position heading into their final group-stage fixture. The broader group picture now revolves around Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden jockeying for knockout-stage positions. Given the expanded 48-team format of this World Cup, Japan’s 4 points give them a cushion heading into the final matchday.