In this 1xBet review, we’ll take a look at the key aspects of the main match of Matchday 1 in Group F of the World Football Forum 2026.
Discipline and resilience are the Samurai Blue’s greatest weapons
Japan has won six matches in a row and kept five straight clean sheets. What’s more, as part of their preparations for the World Championship, the Samurai Blue defeated Brazil (3-2), England (1-0), Ghana (2-0), and Scotland (1-0) in friendlies, and all of these teams will also be competing in the tournament in North America.
Despite injuries to Kaoru Mitoma and Takumi Minamino, Japan still boasts impressive squad depth. Takefusa Kubo has emerged as the main source of creativity in attack: Japanese Messi had an excellent season, winning the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad. He is a brilliant dribbler, capable of creating chances out of nothing. He is always backed by Daizen Maeda, one of the Scottish Premiership’s top scorers, and big-match specialist Ritsu Dōan.
Head coach Hajime Moriyasu faces a pleasant dilemma in midfield. Competing for two spots in the starting lineup are Wataru Endō of Liverpool, Ao Tanaka, who helped Leeds secure their place in the EPL, and Daichi Kamada, the Conference League winner with Crystal Palace.
The Samurai Blue’s defense is also in top form. Zion Suzuki will start in goal as the first Japanese goalkeeper to become a first-choice starter for a Serie A club, while Hiroki Itō of FC Bayern Munich remains the impenetrable rock at the heart of the defense.
Oranje are the dark horse in the championship title race
The Netherlands national team qualified for the World Football Forum 2026 without a single loss, scoring 27 goals in 8 matches, second only to Norway (37). Moreover, Ronald Koeman can call on some of the best defenders in world football. Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke will anchor the center, while Denzel Dumfries will cover the right side of the defense. However, there are concerns on the left: Jurriën Timber has not recovered from his injury and will miss the tournament in North America. His spot in the starting lineup will be taken by nominal center-back Micky van de Ven, one of the fastest defenders in the Premier League.
The presence of Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield suggests that the Netherlands aim to win through creativity rather than physical dominance. The Oranje’s attacking issues have been eased by Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has helped Donyell Malen rediscover his form as a center-forward.
The Netherlands have strong options for each wing of attack. Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville started both of the last two friendlies, while Noa Lang and Justin Kluivert were used off the bench. A brace from the Liverpool winger secured a victory for the Oranje in a tough match against Uzbekistan (2-1). Those goals gave Gakpo a boost in confidence after a less-than-successful season at Anfield.
What to expect from the match?
The Samurai Blue head into the tournament on a winning streak. The Netherlands have conceded at least one goal in four of their last five matches, but the individual skill of the Oranje still makes them the favorites for the upcoming clash. The odds for a Koeman-led victory are 2.02, for a Japan win 3.84, and for a draw 3.64. Given how unpredictable the upcoming fixture is, Handicap 1 (0) at odds of 1.41 looks like a sensible option.
Watch one of the most thrilling clashes of the World Championship Matchday 1 and cheer on your favorite team with 1xBet!
