Netherlands vs. Japan: How to watch, date, time, live stream and TV channel for 2026 World Cup fixture

Netherlands and Japan will begin their respective 2026 World Cup campaigns with a contest in Arlington on Sunday.

The two teams are competing in Group F at this summer's tournament alongside Sweden and Tunisia.

Here, Sports Mole provides details of how to tune into the contest.

What time does Netherlands vs. Japan kick off?

The World Cup match will kick off at 9pm UK time on Sunday night.

Where is Netherlands vs. Japan being played?

The World Cup fixture between Netherlands and Japan will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA.

The stadium is the home venue for NFL outfit Dallas Cowboys.

How to watch Netherlands vs. Japan in the UK

TV channels

The World Cup contest will be available on ITV1.

All 104 matches at this summer's competition are on free-to-air TV for UK viewers, split between ITV and BBC.

Online streaming

UK viewers can stream the game live online via ITVX, which is available on a number of devices, including desktop, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Highlights

Highlights of the World Cup opener will be available on BBC iPlayer, ITVX, as well as their respective X, Facebook and YouTube channels.

TikTok will also, for the first time ever, have highlights of every match.

What is at stake for Netherlands and Japan?

One of the most intriguing matches in the opening set of 2026 World Cup fixtures will take place at AT&T Stadium, with Netherlands taking on Japan.

Netherlands have been runners-up in the World Cup on three occasions, including in 2010, but they are yet to lift the trophy, and it would be fair to say that the national team are not viewed as among the favourites for the competition this summer.

There is still plenty of quality in Ronald Koeman's squad, though, and Netherlands reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

Japan, meanwhile, made it to the round of 16 in Qatar last time out, but they have never made it past that stage at a World Cup.

This Japan outfit have the potential to advance deep into this summer's competition, and a victory on Sunday would certainly see them send out a statement.

> Our full preview of Netherlands vs. Japan can be found here