Netherlands Appears Crazy, Spain Depressed After Initial Failure
June 23, 2026 · Global
The 2026 World Cup sees the likes of Germany and the Netherlands make strong statements, while Spain face pressure after a disappointing start. Ecuador drew with Curacao, and Belgium struggled against Egypt.
The 2026 World Cup is entering a crucial phase where the pressure is starting to build and early mistakes are starting to have real consequences. After Germany's embarrassing exit from the group stage in 2022, the German team returned to the tournament with a burning spirit. Under the tutelage of Julian Nagelsmann, they proved that football is a game played for 90 minutes and Germany always came out on top. They came back from 0-1 down in the first half to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and book a place in the knockout rounds with one game remaining. Stuttgart's Deniz Undav scored two important goals from the bench to give Die Mannschaft another win, pushing them into the last 16 with one game remaining.
Curacao produced a major upset in another match in Group E. After being beaten by Germany on the opening day, the Caribbean nation bounced back in impressive fashion, holding Ecuador in a goalless draw in Kansas City.
In Group F, the Netherlands made a strong statement by crushing Sweden with five goals. Coach Ronald Koeman returned Bryan Brobbey to the starting XI, and the decision proved to be the right one. Brobbey opened the scoring with two quickfire goals in the first half, the second of which marked the Netherlands' 100th World Cup goal. After the break, Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo stole the show by scoring two more goals to make the score 4-0 in less than ten minutes. While Anthony Elanga scored a consolation goal for Sweden, Crysencio Summerville added to the Dutch tally towards the end of the match, sealing a landslide victory.
This result extends the Netherlands' unbeaten record in the most prestigious international tournament to 14 matches, without counting penalties. The Netherlands broke the previous record held by the legendary Brazilian side between 1958 and 1966, boosting their spirits ahead of their third match against Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Spain, who are one of the favorites to win the trophy, were caught in trouble after a shock 0-0 draw against Haiti early in Group H. Chaves' veteran goalkeeper Vozinha was in the spotlight after a brilliant performance, while Luis de la Fuente was confused by his team's failure to capitalize on their 74 percent ball possession. With this result, Spain recorded bad history as the team with the fourth highest possession of the ball without scoring a goal since 1966.
The pressure is mounting for Spain, who are now trying to end a run of four games without a win at the World Cup. They have a more favorable opponent in Saudi Arabia, who they have previously beaten in their last three meetings, including a narrow 1-0 win at the 2006 World Cup. However, Saudi Arabia showed fighting spirit against Uruguay with a 1-1 draw and will be looking to spring a surprise to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 1994.
Belgium, once considered one of the top contenders, faced difficulties again in this tournament. They were forced to a 1-1 draw against Egypt in Seattle, making their position in Group G even more complicated. Despite not losing in 14 matches since March 2025, Rudi Garcia and his team must achieve victory to avoid failure in the group phase, as happened in Qatar four years ago. They will face Iran, who showed incredible fighting spirit in a 2-2 draw against New Zealand. Even though this challenge is difficult, Iran hopes to continue their positive performance.