The Netherlands did not start their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey on the path they wanted, allowing a late goal and playing to a 2-2 draw versus Japan, but the Dutch have seemingly found their way after decimating Sweden on Saturday afternoon.
Brian Brobbey gave the squad an immediate jolt, scoring in the fifth and 17th minutes, and Cody Gakpo left no doubt about the outcome in the second half. The Liverpool forward made a big statement coming out of the break, finding the net in the 47th and then lifting the Netherlands to an insurmountable 4-0 advantage roughly seven minutes later. Gakpo made a nifty change-of-direction and disarmed the Swedish defense.
Play-by-play man Darren Fletcher perfectly punctuated the moment. “Brilliant from Gakpo,” he exclaimed. “The Netherlands are running riot.”
CODY GAKPO DOES IT AGAIN AS HE MAKES IT 4-0 FOR NETHERLANDS
pic.twitter.com/IJ0Pnm3iDr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 20, 2026
Following an ultimately irrelevant goal from the opposition, The Orange scored its fifth goal of the match courtesy of Crysencio Summerville and earned a 5-1 victory. That is how a World Cup contender bounces back.
The Dutch earned runner-up and third-place finishes in 2010 and 2014, respectively, but have not been back to the semifinals since. While a bumpy showing against Japan suggested that a similar trend would occur, they overwhelmed a Sweden team that is supposed to be formidable. The Netherlands will conclude Group F play when they face Tunisia on June 25, before then setting their sights on the knockout stage.
Cody Gakpo will surely be an important part of the team’s quest for global glory moving forward. The 27-year-old totaled three goals in the 2024 European Cup and is now putting on quite the show at the FIFA World Cup.
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