Japan have emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 World Cup thanks to their attractive and entertaining style of play. The Asian side have impressed fans with their attacking approach and now appear determined to establish themselves as genuine contenders on the global stage.
Their campaign started with a hard-fought draw against the Netherlands (2-2), a result that showed Japan could compete with some of the tournament’s strongest teams. They followed that performance with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Tunisia, putting themselves in an excellent position heading into their final group-stage match.
Now, everything will be decided against Sweden. The upcoming clash is expected to determine Japan’s fate in the competition and could be one of the most important matches in the nation’s recent soccer history.
Japan’s FIFA ranking before Sweden match in World Cup
Japan enter the game against Sweden in 16th place in the FIFA World Ranking with 1,681.26 points. The Samurai Blue have climbed two positions during the World Cup, benefiting not only from their own positive results but also from the decline of teams such as Senegal and Uruguay in the rankings.
The draw against the Netherlands earned Japan an additional 4.37 ranking points, while the victory over Tunisia produced a much bigger reward. Japan gained 15.32 points from that result, reflecting the importance of defeating a fellow World Cup participant on the biggest stage.
With confidence growing and a place in the knockout rounds within reach, Japan will look to continue their rise when they face Sweden. Another strong performance could further improve their ranking position while strengthening their credentials as one of the tournament’s most exciting teams.
