The Netherlands will face Sweden this Saturday (20), at 2pm (Brasília time), at the NRG Stadium, in Houston (USA), in the second round of Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After a 2-2 draw with Japan in the debut, the Clockwork Orange needs the victory to recover in the group. Sweden, in turn, arrives motivated after beating Tunisia 5-1.
Ronald Koeman should maintain the 4-3-3 formation with Bart Verbruggen in goal; Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk (captain) and Micky van de Ven in defense; Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders in the middle; and Crysencio Summerville, Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo in attack. Memphis Depay remains as an option on the bench.
On the Swedish side, Graham Potter opts for 3-4-2-1 or 3-1-4-2 with Kristoffer Nordfeldt in goal; Gustaf Lagerbielke, Isak Hien and Victor Lindelöf in defense; Alexander Bernhardsson, Yasin Ayari, Jesper Karlström and others in midfield; and the attacking duo Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, who shone in their debut.
The referee is Englishman Michael Oliver, with an average of cards of around 3.5 per game. The Netherlands appear as favorites at bookmakers, but Sweden showed offensive power by scoring five times in the first match.
Context in Group F
After the first round, Sweden leads with 3 points and a positive balance of +4. The Netherlands and Japan have 1 point each, while Tunisia is at zero. The direct confrontation gains even more importance because the third-placed team can advance depending on the results of the last round.
Where to watch live
In Brazil, transmission is carried out byCazeTV(YouTube), with the possibility of additional coverage on platforms such as Prime Video and Betano. The match can also be followed in real time via live score apps.
What changes in practice
A victory for the Netherlands puts the team back in direct contention for the top of the group and avoids pressure in the final round against Tunisia. For Sweden, the triumph could practically guarantee a place in the round of 16 and confirm the good moment under the command of Graham Potter, who recently took over. The recent history shows balance, but the Netherlands tends to have an advantage in older direct duels.