Kamada strikes late as Japan hold Netherlands 2–2

Japan opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2–2 draw against the Netherlands, and it is already being talked about as more than just a point. Daichi Kamada's late equalizer forced the Dutch into defensive substitutions that manager Ronald Koeman will have to answer for, captain Virgil van Dijk was visibly frustrated afterwards (1). The result feels like a signal: your team walked away with respect, and the narrative among European pundits is that Asian sides are no longer here to make up the numbers.