Shades of 2014: Gakpo and Brobbey run riot as the Dutch drop a historic 5-1 on Sweden

20.06.26 FT World Cup

Netherlands

5

:

Sweden

1

The Netherlands dismantled Sweden with a ruthless attacking display this Saturday 20 Jun in their second Group F clash of World Cup 2026.

Just days after Sweden opened their tournament by handing Tunisia a massive 5-1 thrashing, the Scandinavians found themselves completely overwhelmed by the exact same scoreline. Brian Brobbey set the aggressive tone immediately from the first whistle.

The powerful striker tore through the Swedish defensive line finding the back of the net twice inside the opening 17 minute to give the Dutch side total control of the midfield and the match.

Gakpo & Summerville seal the rout

Coming out of the dressing room after the break, Cody Gakpo wasted no time extending the advantage. The dynamic forward struck quickly in the 47th & 54th minutes effectively killing off any lingering hopes of a Swedish comeback.

Anthony Elanga managed to pull a goal back for the Swedes near the hour mark but it was purely a consolation prize against a superior opponent.

Crysencio Summerville then added the final insult with a late strike in the 89th minute to cap off an attacking masterclass.

Group F standings and Tunisia's managerial shake up

This emphatic victory sends the Oranje directly to the top of Group F with four point leaving Sweden trailing in second place with three.

Meanwhile, the ripple effects of Matchday 1 are still shaking up the group dynamics. Following their initial humiliation against Sweden, the Tunisian Football Federation officially sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi.

The North African squad has now appointed tactical veteran Hervé Renard to salvage their campaign, with their crucial, must win fixture against Japan looming later today.

The historic weight of a 5-1 victory

For Dutch football fans, a 5-1 World Cup victory brings back spectacular memories of one of their greatest modern tournament performances.

This exact scoreline perfectly mirrors their iconic demolition of defending champions Spain during the opening week of the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

On that famous night in Salvador, Robin van Persie & Arjen Robben ran riot to enact revenge for their 2010 final defeat.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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