Japan, the highest-ranked Asian nation in the FIFA World Rankings at No. 16, routed Tunisia, the African dark horse ranked 58th, to claim its first win of the tournament.
The Japanese national team, led by manager Hajime Moriyasu, defeated Tunisia 4-0 in their second Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, held at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico on Friday (Korea time), powered by Ayase Ueda, who scored two goals and provided one assist.
The four goals mark the most ever scored in a single match by an Asian team competing at a World Cup.
The World Cup, which began with the opening match between France and Mexico at the 1930 Uruguay tournament, reached its 23rd edition with this North and Central America event, and the match between Japan and Tunisia was the 1,000th in tournament history.
Japan, which had drawn 2-2 with the Netherlands in their first match, crushed Tunisia in the historic 1,000th World Cup match and boosted their chances of advancing to the round of 32. Japan was drawn into Group F alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia. Group F is regarded as the "group of death" in this tournament.
Japan opened the scoring just four minutes into the first half, bombarding Tunisia. Keito Nakamura cut into the left side of the penalty area and delivered a cutback that struck Daichi Kamada's back foot and rolled in.
It was the fastest goal in Japan's World Cup history.
In the 31st minute, Ueda scored an additional goal to pull further ahead. Carrying the ball into the penalty area, Ueda seized the moment as the defender's pressure loosened and immediately fired a shot through the opponent's legs to make it 2-0.
Having ended the first half with a two-goal lead, Japan did not let up their offensive in the second half. In the 24th minute of the second half, Ueda took a through pass from Takehiro Tomiyasu and dropped it into the space behind with a single touch, instantly breaking down Tunisia's defensive line, and Junya Ito received it and calmly slotted it into the right corner of the goal.
In the 38th minute of the second half, Ueda completed his brace to give Japan a 4-0 lead, the first in Japan's World Cup history.
Japan, securing its first win of the tournament (4 points, 6 goals scored, 2 conceded), sat second in the group behind the Netherlands (4 points, 7 goals scored, 3 conceded) on goals scored. Japan will aim to clinch a spot in the round-of-32 tournament in their final match against Sweden at Dallas Stadium in the United States at 8 a.m. Korea time on June 26.
