2026 World Cup Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden Preview, Odds and Predictions (June 20)
- When: Saturday, June 20, 2026. 1:00 PM ET
- Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States
- How to Watch: FOX
The 2026 World Cup goes through the second round of matches with the third matchup in Group F getting underway in Houston as the Netherlands takes on Sweden. These two squads will likely be in direct competition for a qualifying spot in the group, meaning that there will be pressure on both nations on MD2.
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Netherlands Stats & Team News
The Netherlands stand out as a team that is capable of making a deep run in the 2026 World Cup. However, a 2-2 draw against Japan has proven that objective to be more difficult than they expected.
The Dutch showcased promise with Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville, scoring the country’s first goals of the tournament, but their defense faltered when Japan continued fighting back for the remainder of the match. The Netherlands will need to figure out how to consistently create more chances while preventing their opponents from getting a lot of scoring chances.
Likely Lineup:
(4-3-3) Verbruggen (GK); Dumfries, van Hecke, van Dijk, van de Ven; Gravenberch, de Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo
Sweden Stats & Team News
Sweden entered the World Cup with low expectations, having went through poor results throughout the qualifying cycle. Despite this, they began their journey in the tournament with a dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia.
Alexsander Isak shined with three goal involvements, being a force in the front three as the Tunisians couldn’t handle his assertiveness. However, the Swedish defense will be put to the test against their European foes, showing whether the Matchday 1 results are legitimate or not.
Likely Lineup:
(3-4-1-2) Nordfeldt (GK) Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelöf; Bernhardsson, Karlström, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Nygren; Gyökeres, Elanga
Head-to-Head Stats
- This is the 20th all-time meeting between the Netherlands and Sweden.
- This marks the seventh competitive meeting between the nations, first since the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Netherlands vs. Sweden World Cup Picks
Netherlands and Sweden have plenty of history facing each other as this match marks their first in the last nine years. The Dutch are in search for a win as it significantly changes their trajectory in the knockout stage. As for Sweden, they look to pull off an amazing upset to continue their strong start on the global stage. It would be safe to believe that the Netherlands takes this one by a 2-1 score.
