Two goals in seven minutes. Concede one. Win another. The Netherlands made it look straightforward at the Kansas City Stadium on June 26 — kick-off 4:30 AM IST — finishing the group stage with seven points. Ronald Koeman’s side are first in Group F and heading to Monterrey to face Morocco in the Round of 32. Tunisia leave with zero points, a final scoreline of 3-1, and the knowledge that small margins cost them at the worst possible moments.
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Two Goals, Seven Minutes, and a Captain’s Nightmare
Tunisia almost scored in the second minute. Ismaël Gharbi found himself in front of goal from point-blank range — one of those chances where the difficulty lies in missing rather than scoring — and fired it over the crossbar. Sixty seconds later, the Netherlands were ahead.
Denzel Dumfries whipped a low cross into the danger area. Tunisia captain Ellyes Skhiri, under pressure, sliced his attempted clearance into his own net. Three minutes played. One-nil. There was nothing Skhiri could have done differently; he was simply the last man in the wrong place at the wrong moment.
The second came before Tunisia had recovered from the first. Tijjani Reijnders swung a free-kick in from deep, Virgil van Dijk met it powerfully and flicked a header back across the face of the goal, and Brian Brobbey arrived at the far post to tap it home. His third goal of the tournament. Seven minutes played. Two-nil. The Kansas City Stadium — overwhelmingly Dutch in its colour and noise — erupted.
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Tunisia Pulls One Back, Skhiri Redeems Himself
The second half brought Tunisia back into the contest. Nine minutes in, Hannibal Mejbri delivered a corner to the near post and Hazem Mastouri — making his debut on this stage — powered a header past Bart Verbruggen. One-two. Momentum shifted. Tunisia had something to play for.
In the 51st minute, Ellyes Skhiri provided his own answer to his own-goal misery. Dumfries broke into the box and had the goal at his mercy — and Skhiri threw himself across the line to clear it. A goal-line intervention of the highest order, exactly where he had failed in the 3rd minute. Football rarely produces symmetry that neat.
Van Hecke Finishes the Job
The Netherlands settled it in the 62nd minute and, inevitably, it came from another Reijnders delivery. Jan Paul van Hecke climbed highest at the near post and met the cross firmly, his header taking a slight deflection off Anis Ben Slimane on its way into the top corner. Three-one. Reijnders then came within inches of a personal highlight reel moment four minutes later, his delicate chipped effort from distance catching the top of the crossbar.
In the 77th minute, Memphis Depay made his way off the bench — a signal that his thigh injury is healing, that he will be available for the knockout rounds, and that the Netherlands have an extra dimension coming. For now, three goals were enough. More than enough.
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Group F Final Standings
With Japan and Sweden drawing 1-1 in the concurrent match, the Netherlands confirmed first place in Group F with seven points. They face Morocco — second in Group C — in the Round of 32 at Estadio BBVA, Monterrey, on June 30, 6:30 AM IST. Tunisia finished bottom of the group with zero points, their FIFA World Cup 2026™ journey over.
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