The Dutch were doubted, but the Netherlands responded in emphatic fashion. Ronald Koeman’s side produced a dominant attacking display to sweep aside Sweden 5-1 in their Group F encounter, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo stealing the show.
The Netherlands made the perfect start, taking the lead inside five minutes. Cody Gakpo picked up possession, looked up and delivered a low cross into the box, where Brian Brobbey calmly side-footed home from close range to give the Oranje an early advantage.
Rather than sitting back, the Dutch continued to apply relentless pressure. Their aggressive approach and quick passing movement unsettled Sweden, who struggled to play out from the back. The pressure paid off again as Brobbey struck for the second time, putting Netherlands firmly in control before the half-hour mark.
Sweden improved after the hydration break and began finding more space through Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak. Gustaf Lagerbielke came closest to pulling one back, heading in from a set piece, but the effort was ruled out for offside as the Netherlands went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
The Orange tide continued after the restart, with Gakpo doubling his impact. Within two minutes of the second half, Denzel Dumfries delivered a brilliant ball across the face of goal after a clever move involving Crysencio Summerville, allowing Gakpo to tap in at the back post.
Gakpo added another soon after, cutting inside and firing a low finish into the bottom corner. The goal became the 100th goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, underlining the attacking quality on display.
Sweden eventually found a breakthrough when Alexander Isak played a superb through ball from midfield into the path of substitute Anthony Elanga, who kept his composure to finish past Bart Verbruggen.
However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly ended as Summerville capped off a brilliant cameo with Netherlands’ fifth goal, adding a goal to his assist after constantly troubling the Swedish defence with his pace and direct running.
The final scoreline reflected the difference between the two sides. Sweden created moments but lacked the finishing touch, while the Netherlands were ruthless in the final third and showcased the intensity, movement and attacking quality that makes them a serious contender in Group F.