The Netherlands national team coach spoke candidly ahead of their scheduled match against Japan in the 2026 World Cup Group F opener tonight.
Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands national team coach, confirmed that his team is not afraid of Japan before their 2026 World Cup Group F opening match tonight at 03:00 GMT+7, but he said they have thoroughly analyzed their opponents.
Koeman said, "We know what our chances are. We are not afraid of our opponents, but we respect them."
"We have a good impression of the Japanese team. We have analyzed our opponents in detail. Their game focuses on offense. I don't want to single out individual players, but we know they are physically strong."
The Netherlands national team has reached the World Cup final three times, most recently in 2010, but lost each time. This time, they are once again among the favorites, and Koeman admits the pressure is significant.
"We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We want to go as far as possible in this tournament. We have a strong team, and we know what we need to improve to have a real chance."
"But we have to take it one game at a time. We must focus on Japan first, which will be a tough match."