Tunisia v Japan: kick-off, TV and line-ups for the 1000th World Cup match | OneFootball

Tunisia and Japan take the field in the early hours of this Sunday (21), at 1 a.m. (Brasília time), at BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, for the second round of Group F of the 2026 World Cup. The match carries special significance: it will be the 1,000th game in World Cup history, a milestone that will be celebrated with special referee shirts and a commemorative patch reading “Match 1000”.

Time and where to watch Tunisia vs Japan

Probable Tunisia lineup

Tunisia is under pressure after suffering a 5-1 thrashing against Sweden in its opener, a result that cost head coach Sabri Lamouchi his job — he was dismissed during the World Cup itself. The team is now being taken over by the experienced Frenchman Hervé Renard.

+ Who is Nelson Deossa, the Colombian defensive midfielder who could strengthen Vasco

Tunisia (4-4-2 or variation): Chamakh; Valery, Talbi, Rekik, Abdi; Skhiri, Khedira, Gharbi, Hannibal; Ben Slimane, Saad. Coach: Hervé Renard.

Tunisia’s attacking hopes are centered on Hannibal Mejbri and Anis Ben Slimane, the main creative forces in the team.

Probable Japan lineup

The Japanese arrive in a calmer moment after an eventful 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their opener, a result achieved with a performance praised by the specialized press. Japan came into the World Cup on a seven-match unbeaten run, including wins over Brazil and England in warm-up friendlies.

Japan (4-2-3-1 or variation): Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Ito; Sugawara, Kamada, Sano, Nakamura; Doan, Kubo; Ueda (or Maeda). Coach: Hajime Moriyasu.

Head-to-head record and what’s at stake

The head-to-head history heavily favors Japan: in the six times the teams have faced each other, the Japanese have won five, with Tunisia claiming just one victory. Tunisia, in fact, has never advanced past the group stage at a World Cup, while Japan comes in after reaching the knockout stage in the last two editions of the tournament.

For Tunisia, the mission is clear: win to stay alive in the race for a spot in the round of 16, especially after the slip-up in the opener. Japan, meanwhile, is looking for three points to put its qualification on track and firmly take the top spot in Group F.

+ Follow Papo na Colina on social media: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.