Sweden face Japan in World Cup 2026 Group F on Friday June 20 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with kick-off at 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. Pacific, 11 p.m. BST. Sweden go into the match top of Group F after thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in their opener, while Japan will want to build on a spirited 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.
In the United States, the match is on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish. Streaming is available on Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and the Fox Sports app. The 3 p.m. Pacific kick-off makes this one of the more accessible evening timeslots for West Coast viewers. SoFi Stadium’s location in the Los Angeles area means significant local interest in the fixture.
In the United Kingdom, the match is on BBC Two with free-to-air coverage and simultaneous streaming on BBC iPlayer. Kick-off is at 11 p.m. BST, a late match for British viewers but one that follows the England vs Ghana fixture on ITV1 for those following the full evening of World Cup action. In Sweden, SVT and TV4 are sharing tournament coverage, with this match expected to be the most-watched television event of the year in the country given Sweden’s strong opener.
In Japan, NHK and Fuji TV are co-broadcasting selected World Cup matches. Sweden vs Japan is assigned to NHK BS1 with the stream available on NHK+ for Japanese domestic viewers. The 7 a.m. Japan time kick-off on Saturday June 21 means many Japanese fans will be watching before work or school.
Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak were the stars of the Tunisia demolition, combining for four goals between them in what manager Jon Dahl Tomasson described as the most complete team performance he had overseen in his time in charge. Both are expected to start against Japan, with Gyokeres particularly motivated having scored twice in his World Cup debut. Sweden’s 5-1 win over Tunisia was one of the most eye-catching results of the tournament’s opening week.
Japan held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in Group F’s other opening game, a result that showed the Asian champions were capable of competing with Europe’s strongest sides. Their high pressing game and the pace of their forward line make them a difficult opponent for any team. Manager Hajime Moriyasu is expected to field the same setup that caused the Dutch so many problems.
SoFi Stadium holds 70,000 for football. The fixture is one of four being played simultaneously on Friday evening across multiple venues. Argentina vs Algeria also kicks off at the same time in Pasadena. FIFA Plus offers free streaming in territories without dedicated broadcast rights.
