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Both Japan and Tunisia head into Sunday's match without a win, and both know a loss could put them in serious trouble in Group F. The game also carries a number one that no one will ever see again in World Cup history.
According to Yahoo Sports, the match between Japan and Tunisia will be the 1,000th game in World Cup tournament history. It kicks off at midnight ET on Sunday, June 21, at Estadio BBVA Bancomer in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico. For viewers on the West Coast, that is 9 p.m. Saturday evening.
The game will air in English on FS1 and in Spanish on Telemundo. Streaming options include YouTube TV, DirecTV, and Peacock. An ad-supported Peacock subscription runs $11 per month and carries Spanish-language broadcasts of every 2026 World Cup match. FOX One, a streaming service from FOX that launched last summer, offers access to FS1 along with other FOX channels for $19.99 per month, with a three-day free trial available.
Japan came into the tournament as heavy favorites to advance from Group F but dropped points in their opening match, drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands. Tunisia lost their opener to Sweden and now sit at the bottom of the group. A win for either side would be their first of the tournament.
CBS Sports soccer analyst Jon Eimer offered his take on the Japanese side heading into the match. "Japan went down twice against the best team in their group and fought back both times to pick up an incredible 2-2 draw," Eimer said. "This team showed more fight and resilience in 45 minutes than we'll" — his full comment was not completed in available reporting, but his pick reflects confidence in an open game.
Eimer is taking the Over 2.5 goals at +110 odds for the Japan-Tunisia matchup, according to CBS Sports. Japan opened as a -185 favorite on FanDuel as of Saturday.
The same four-match Saturday slate also features Germany against Ivory Coast at 4 p.m. ET, a match with major Group E implications. Germany crushed Curacao 7-1 in their opener, while Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0. Germany entered that match as a -200 favorite.
CBS Sports analyst Eimer also backed the Over 2.5 goals in the Germany match. "This is a German squad that is encouraging everyone to play and press together," Eimer said. "The other thing I loved about Germany is how clean their set pieces and corners looked. This team had some serious overhaul under their new manager and they looked much more strategic and put together than I've seen them in recent years. While there's no such thing as an easy win in these last two games, they'll have some new tools in their arsenal I'm excited to see."
The third match of the Saturday slate sends Ecuador against Curacao at 8 p.m. ET in Kansas City. Ecuador opened as an -800 favorite. CBS Sports analyst Martin Green backed Ecuador to cover the 2.5-goal spread. "Ecuador should be far too strong for Curaçao when the teams clash in Kansas City on Saturday," Green said. "Curaçao is the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup. The island is roughly half the size of New York City, and it has a population of just 155,826. The Grenadiers lost 7-1 to Germany in their opening game of this tournament, and they're likely to concede more goals against Ecuador on Matchday 2. The Ecuadorians were a little unfortunate to lose 1-0 to Ivory Coast in their opener, but they should return to winning ways against Curaçao this weekend."
Elsewhere in the tournament on Saturday, BBC Radio Scotland was broadcasting live from Boston as Scotland's World Cup campaign continued, with all four Group F and Group E matches still to be settled heading into the weekend.
The Japan-Tunisia match remains the centerpiece of the night. Japan needs a result to stay on track for the knockout stage. Tunisia, already one loss in, needs a win to keep any realistic hope of advancing alive.
