Japan wreaked havoc on Tunisia by winning with a 4-0 scoreline on the 1000th World Cup game to close in on a place in the last 32.
Undav scored twice as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the knockout phase at the World Cup, while Brian Brobbey struck twice early to hand the Netherlands a comfortable lead over Sweden.
Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw against the heavily favoured La Tri and earned the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point.
Welcome to TNIE's live coverage of Day 10 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Day 10 action will see the Netherlands — often described as the most talented soccer nation to never win a World Cup — face a crucial game against Sweden in Group F, before Germany take on Ivory Coast in Group E. Ecuador will then take on Curacao in the other Group E encounter, with Japan rounding off the day's action against Tunisia in Group F.
Below are Day 10's fixtures, with all times in IST:
Netherlands vs Sweden – (10:30 pm)
Germany vs Ivory Coast - (1:30 am)
Ecuador vs Curacao – (5:30 am)
Tunisia vs Japan – (9:30 am)
Matchday 9 saw hosts USA become the second team to reach the World Cup knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over Australia, while Turkey and Haiti became the first teams to bow out of the tournament.
Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday to close in on a place in the last 32.
Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as the Asian giants joined the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.
Tunisia were eliminated from contention for the knockout stage following the loss.
Belgium's Jérémy Doku will not play in his team's World Cup match against Iran on Sunday due to illness.
The Manchester City winger was ruled out Saturday by the Red Devils for the match at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area. Coach Rudi Garcia declined to comment at length on the condition of Doku, who is believed to have been fighting a respiratory problem for at least two weeks.
“He can’t play, and so we’ll be playing without him,” Garcia said through an interpreter during his pre-match news conference. “I knew since (Friday) evening that he won’t be playing. I don’t want to get players to play if they’re not medically up for the game. I can get players to play even if they’re not 100 percent physically, but 100 percent medically is (more important). But I’m absolutely 100 percent sure we’ll be fine and we’ll be winning tomorrow.”
The speedy Doku started Belgium's World Cup opener last Monday and played into the 86th minute of a 1-1 draw with Egypt. Doku reportedly left a practice early due to breathing issues during the week before the opening match.
“He was fine, and he managed to play against Egypt," Garcia said. “But since then, well, there are ups and downs in life, and the medical staff decided to take things a little bit further and help him recover.”
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said Saturday he has been told US travel restrictions on his World Cup team will finally be eased for their third group game, but blasted the treatment they have received so far for damaging their on-field performance.
The Iranian squad arrived at the World Cup with their country still at war with co-hosts the United States, and have been based in Mexico while playing all their games in the US.
That has required frequent cross-border travel, and US authorities have only permitted the team to remain in the country for a few hours after each game, with restrictions frequently shifting last-minute.
After playing Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Iran's final group game will take place in Seattle next Friday against Egypt.
Ghalenoei on Saturday said he had been told his team will have more flexibility for their final match, before quickly adding that it would have been "justice" for his team to have the same treatment for its first two games.
"They said in Seattle, you can do what you want, you can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier," he told a press conference, without specifying who exactly the information had come from.
Curacao won their first World Cup point in history as they drew 0-0 with Ecuador in a breathless match with many chances but no goals.
Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez and his Curacao opposite number Eloy Room were the busiest players in a stalemate that guarantees that Germany will win Group E.
Germany reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014 with a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice, including the crucial goal four minutes into injury time, triggering a massive roar from the overwhelmingly pro-German crowd of 43,000 in Toronto.
Germany had not advanced from the group stage since winning the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and coach Julian Nagelsmann had been under huge pressure to make that breakthrough.
He paid tribute to Undav's clinical finishing -- and said it was "not out of the question" that he could start the next game against Ecuador.
"That was great for him. You can't get more decisive than that!" Nagelsmann told MagentaTV.
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston.
The big win in front of nearly 69,000 put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them liftoff after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman's side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (none).
Despite the sobering loss the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.
Brian Brobbey struck twice early to hand the Netherlands a comfortable lead over Sweden.
Tunisia is looking to Cape Verde for inspiration ahead of the North African team’s next World Cup game against Japan, newly appointed coach Hervé Renard said Friday.
The charismatic Frenchman, who was hired to save Tunisia after its 5-1 loss to Sweden in its opening match, said his side must earn at least a point against Japan to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time in its seven World Cup appearances.
World Cup newcomer Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against European champion Spain – the tournament’s biggest upset so far – “gives us hope,” Renard said.
“When you are organized and together, you are able to compete. We have to follow this example and not be scared of defeat,” said Renard, who is at his third World Cup as coach after leading Morocco in 2018 and Saudi Arabia in 2022.
Hajime Moriyasu warned his Japan side Friday they will need to match the intensity of a Tunisia team fired up by a change of coach for the landmark 1,000th World Cup game.
Fresh from a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in Texas, Japan face a Tunisia side smarting from being thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in Group F.
The Netherlands are outside bets to win the World Cup in North America, but Moriyasu said a wounded Tunisia will be "an even more intense game".
"They will have a great motivation to do their best so they can get to the next stage. I believe they will battle us with that mentality and we will not take that passively," the Japan coach said.
"To win we should have a stronger will than them."
Striker Alexander Isak will get "stronger and stronger" and is smiling again, Sweden coach Graham Potter said Friday in a World Cup warning to defences.
The 26-year-old scored one goal and set two up, with strike partner Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal also netting.
Speaking on the eve of Saturday's tasty group clash with the Netherlands in Houston, the Englishman Potter said: "Alex has had a season that has been interrupted.
"Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we've had to try to build Alex up.
"I think there's more to come from him.
"I think he'll get stronger and stronger as the tournament goes, and that's where our work is to try and help him get better and better, stronger and stronger."
Key midfielder Frenkie de Jong is a doubt for the Netherlands' World Cup group match against free-scoring Sweden on Saturday after colliding with a team-mate, coach Ronald Koeman said.
Speaking on the eve of the clash in Houston, Koeman said Barcelona star De Jong was hurt in a collision with fellow midfielder Quinten Timber.
Timber, who came on as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against Japan in Texas, is definitely out with mild concussion.
"There was a collision which caused a light concussion, so Quinten will not play this match. After this match, he might be ready," former international defender Koeman said Friday.
"But Frenkie also had minor complaints about his physical condition... let's see how he will be tomorrow."