The Netherlands have moved to the brink of the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a commanding 5-1 victory over Sweden, in a match in which Brian Brobbey shone with a brace in the 5th and 17th minutes. Cody Gakpo then added two more in the 47th and 54th minutes, before Crysencio Summerville rounded off the goal feast in the 89th minute. Anthony Elanga scored Sweden's only goal in the 59th minute.
Saturday evening's victory, played in the second round of Group 6, earned the Oranje 3 precious points to lift their tally to 4, putting them temporarily top of the group, ahead of Sweden on 3 points, pending the result of the Japan–Tunisia match to be played later. In the opening round, Sweden had beaten Tunisia 5-1 while the Netherlands and Japan drew 2-2.
The Netherlands asserted their dominance from the opening minutes, benefiting from a high press that unsettled the Swedish defence. Brobbey opened the scoring with a precise cross from Cody Gakpo, before the same player doubled the lead, exploiting clear disorganisation in Sweden's back line.
Despite Sweden's attempts to get back into the game through the movement of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, the Dutch defence, led by Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, successfully contained most of the dangerous attempts, with the first half ending in a comfortable 2-0 lead for the Netherlands.
In the second half, the Netherlands continued their attacking dominance, with Gakpo adding a third goal at the start of the half from a pass by Dempsey, before returning to score the fourth following a swift counter-attack that underlined the technical gulf between the two sides.
Sweden managed to reduce the deficit through Elanga in the 59th minute, after a pass from Isak, restoring a degree of relative balance, but hopes of a comeback quickly faded in the face of continued Dutch superiority.
In the closing moments, Summerville rounded off the goal festival with a powerful strike from outside the box, confirming the Orange's crushing superiority — a side that looked sharper and more cohesive — as they secured a resounding win that bolsters their ambitions of reaching the knockout rounds.