The Netherlands secured first place in Group F with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in Kansas City, a result that sends Ronald Koeman’s side into a round-of-32 meeting with Morocco and avoids an early collision with Brazil. The match was effectively decided inside seven minutes, as an own goal by Ellyes Skhiri and a close-range finish from Brian Brobbey gave the Dutch a lead they never looked like relinquishing.

Tunisia, already eliminated, offered little resistance in a rain-soaked Arrowhead Stadium. Skhiri turned a low Denzel Dumfries cross into his own net in the third minute, and four minutes later Brobbey pounced after Virgil van Dijk headed a free-kick into his path. The North Africans briefly stirred when Hazem Mastouri headed in a corner early in the second half, but Jan Paul van Hecke restored the two-goal cushion with another header from a set-piece, and the Dutch coasted through the remainder.

The result left the Netherlands on seven points, two clear of Japan, who drew 1-1 with Sweden and will now face Brazil in Houston. Sweden’s four points were enough to advance as one of the best third-placed teams, while Tunisia departed without a point. For the Dutch, the comfortable progression masks a lingering question: they have yet to be tested by a genuine contender, and the meeting with a Morocco side that reached the semi-finals in Qatar will provide a sterner examination of their credentials.

Beyond the scoreline, the evening belonged to Katia Itzel García. The 33-year-old Mexican became only the third woman to referee a men’s World Cup match, following Stéphanie Frappart and Tori Penso, and the first from Latin America. She wore a black uniform with green, white and red bands on the shoulders and shorts—a FIFA-approved tribute to her nationality—and was accompanied by compatriot Sandra Ramírez as first assistant. Mexican media and political figures celebrated the occasion as a breakthrough for women in officiating, noting García’s path from the UNAM university to the global stage. Her performance was composed: she issued no cards, communicated calmly with players, and navigated a minor collision with Nathan Aké without fuss.

García’s debut adds a layer of symbolism to a tournament co-hosted by Mexico, but the immediate focus now shifts to Monterrey, where the Netherlands will face Morocco on Monday. For Koeman’s team, the knockout phase begins with a fixture that will reveal far more about their tournament prospects than a group stage in which they were rarely extended.