The Netherlands confirmed their status as Group F winners at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after easing to a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in their final group-stage fixture.
The Dutch entered the match needing a positive result to guarantee top spot and wasted little time asserting their dominance, scoring twice inside the opening seven minutes to put the contest beyond Tunisia’s reach.
The breakthrough came in unfortunate circumstances for the North Africans when Ellyes Skhiri turned the ball into his own net in the third minute.
Just four minutes later, captain Virgil van Dijk picked out Brian Brobbey with an excellent pass, and the striker calmly slotted home to double the Netherlands’ advantage.
Tunisia responded after the interval through Hazem Mastouri, whose powerful header from a corner reduced the deficit and briefly revived hopes of a comeback.
However, the Dutch restored their two-goal cushion in the 62nd minute when Jan Paul van Hecke headed home from another set-piece to make it 3-1.
Tunisia continued to battle and appealed for a penalty late in the second half after Elias Achouri went down inside the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
The Netherlands comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to secure all three points and finish top of Group F with seven points.
The victory sends the Dutch into the Round of 32 as group winners, while Japan also progressed after finishing second on five points.
For Tunisia, the defeat brought their World Cup campaign to an end, with the Carthage Eagles exiting the tournament after collecting zero point from three matches.