Germany scored seven goals while Sweden netted five as an action-packed day produced 19 goals across four World Cup fixtures.
An entertaining day at the FIFA World Cup delivered a total of 19 goals on Sunday, with Germany and Sweden producing dominant performances while several other fixtures provided late drama.
Sweden secured an impressive 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey, powered by a brace from Yasin Ayari. Alexander Isak also found the net early before Tunisia’s Omar Rekik reduced the deficit just before halftime. In the second half, Viktor Gyokeres, Mattias Svanberg and Ayari added further goals to complete a comfortable win.
Sweden head coach Graham Potter praised his side’s composure and defensive discipline, highlighting the attacking threat posed by his forwards.
Meanwhile, Germany recovered from an early scare to thrash World Cup debutants Curacao 7-1 in Houston. Felix Nmecha opened the scoring, but Curacao briefly stunned the four-time world champions when Livano Comenencia equalized.
Germany then took complete control as Kai Havertz struck twice, while Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav also contributed to the scoring spree. German manager Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged Curacao’s brave approach and praised their performance despite the heavy defeat.
Curacao coach Dick Advocaat, who became the oldest manager to oversee a World Cup match at 78, expressed pride in his team’s historic appearance and said the result should not overshadow the achievement.
Elsewhere, Japan fought back twice to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Dallas. Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring for the Dutch before Keito Nakamura leveled with a long-range effort. Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands’ lead, but Daichi Kamada struck in the 88th minute to rescue a point for Japan.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu praised his team’s determination, while Dutch coach Ronald Koeman admitted his side fell short of expectations.
In Philadelphia, substitute Amad Diallo scored a late winner to hand Cote d’Ivoire a 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
The defeat ended Ecuador’s impressive 19-match unbeaten streak dating back to September 2024, although midfielder Moises Caicedo remained optimistic about his team’s chances in the remainder of the tournament.
