Jonas Olsson
Former Sweden defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Pleased with the result, pleased with the performance. I think the game lacked a bit of quality, lacked a bit of ambition. Japan was more or less already through, Sweden needed a point so it was that kind of game.

Sweden came back from a 5-1 defeat against the Netherlands so it was all about getting a defensive performance. I thought we did that and then the guys up front showed that we had a lot of quality.

[On ups and downs of the scores] It's not normal in Swedish teams to be fair. Normally we are built from a strong defence, that has always been our case, we are organised, structured, we don't overdo it but we rarely lose games 5-1 or with big numbers. This team is different. The results and performances have been really volatile.

The mood in Sweden is, we don't know. On our day we can probably beat any team at the World Cup but on our day we can also lose to anyone. I think people were happy with the performance [against Japan], which was more Swedish in a sense. It was more organised and defensive.

Speaking of Graham Potter, this is how he reacted to finding out Anthony Elanga's full-time frustration was because he didn't realise a point was enough for Sweden to progress to the last 32.

Chris McKenna
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After being thrashed 5-1 by the Netherlands in their second group game, it was far from a straightforward task for Sweden to get a point against an impressive and hard-working Japan side.

Graham Potter had to pick Sweden up after they finished bottom of their group in a nightmare qualifying campaign yet navigated their way to this tournament through the play-offs, thanks to their Nations League ranking.

Here he managed to not only lift them, after that calamity against the Dutch, but also when they went behind on the night - as defeat would have left them sweating on their progression.

It did take a moment of magic from Anthony Elanga, who was visibly frustrated at full-time for not finding a winner, but Sweden showed resilience to respond in this game and Potter has achieved what was surely the minimum objective for them in reaching the knockout stages.

They will need to be more defensively resilient than they were against the Netherlands if they face France in the last 32, of course.

Yet if Potter can find a way to ensure Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Elanga are still a threat - while keeping it tight at the back - they cannot be ruled out.

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton defender Maya Yoshida believes the 26-man squad selected by Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu is capable of reaching unprecedented territory in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Yoshida, 37, who captained Japan in 2022, has travelled with the squad to this tournament as a non-playing "support player" to provide leadership behind the scenes.

He believes Japan's ability to compete with some of Fifa's top-ranked nations is driven by the increasing number of players featuring regularly in Europe's top five leagues.

"Of course, now more players play in Europe, especially high level European competitions," said Yoshida, who was capped 127 times.

"At the beginning, I was at VVV Venlo, a bottom Dutch league team, which was very good for me to have a first step, but time has changed now. Japanese players' reputation is much higher.

"So now, [on a] daily basis or weekly basis, every player plays with or against World Cup level players.

"That experience is a huge difference. That's the main thing for me. But shouldn't forget that that road started by the older players like [Shunsuke] Nakamura, [Hidetoshi] Nakata, Shinji Ono.

"These guys are opening the door and our generation start to go and now the door is even wider."

Image source, Getty Images

Few nations look better equipped for a deep and unexpected run than Japan, whose blend of individual quality, recent form and all-round experience makes them one of the most intriguing outsiders in the competition.

In 2022, the Samurai Blue defeated both Germany and Spain to top Group E and advance to the first knockout round.

But it wasn't to be. Instead, Japan suffered familiar heartbreak as they were eliminated at the round-of-16 stage for the fourth time after a penalty shoot-out defeat by Croatia.

Now, four-years on, they have secured a place in the last 32 and five-time champions Brazil await.

Japan continued to demonstrate their class on the ball against Sweden with an easy-on-the-eye team goal to take the lead against Graham Potter's side.

We went into a fair amount of detail earlier on about Group F, which the Netherlands have topped with seven points.

However, more probably needs to be said about Japan who have finished as group runners-up.

There is always at least one team that defies the odds and emerges as the surprise package of a World Cup. Could it be Japan?

David Cheeseman
BBC senior journalist

Ecuador fans have gone crazy in the NYC fan park under the Brooklyn Bridge. Genuine tears flowing, horns blowing and lots of singing.

“After party” is the cry as it dawns on them that they’ve beaten a European big name to clinch their place in the knockout stages. A spectacular end for them in a spectacular location.

Image source, Getty Images

Mario Melchiot
Former Netherlands defender on the Football Daily podcast

You know what the key thing is? Ecuador had a lot of passion in them.

The speed and the way that they were playing - they were pressing Germany in a way I didn't expect. That is why I think they got themselves under pressure and [into] difficult situations.

Normally when you score a goal, you track back. Ecuador, no - they just kept on going. The first-half was a little bit less, but in the second-half they kept on going. Even if they weren't leading they kept on pressing.

BBC Sport World Cup pundits Joe Hart, Ellen White and Lucas Leiva believe Leroy Sane's goal should have been disallowed because Alexander Pavlovic's high boot in the build-up to the goal was an example of "endangering the opponent" and therefore should have been classed as a foul.

Germany made the perfect start after only two minutes when Leroy Sane picked up Florian Wirtz's clever pass in the area to fire a clinical finish beyond Ecuador keeper Hernan Galindez.

But Ecuador were furious with Sane's goal and were convinced they should have been awarded a foul for Alexandar Pavlovic's high boot on Pedro Vite in the build-up.

Their protests were ignored and the goal stood.

Take a look below.

Singer Sabrina Carpenter was spotted watching Ecuador v Germany with binoculars at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Thursday.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Mario Melchiot
Former Netherlands defender on the Football Daily podcast

[Sebastian Beccacece] is Argentinian and his country won the World Cup last time and now you are bringing another country to it, so they [Argentinians] are going to watch you too.

Ecuador have made a lot of development, in the years coming through to now and now they have really star players. You have got to make it a team.

Maybe Germany were a little bit too confident, maybe a little bit too slow and that [the result] was a surprise.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC One

If Ecuador hadn't won this game, he [Sebastian Beccacece]wouldn't have been in the job.

He was looking for a reaction from his players and boy has he got one. Look at his reaction to family members, fans and friends - he deserves it.

Him and his players put a shift in - they gambled, they fought, they scrapped and they've come out on top.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When referee Mary Victoria Penso blew the final whistle in New Jersey, Ecuador head coach Sebastian Beccacece clambered over the stadium barriers to celebrate with his family.

The Argentine tactician had said beforehand that he expected to step down if his side failed to reach the World Cup knockout stages.

But the scenes at full-time after a famous 2-1 victory, which secured their place in the knockout stages for only the second time in history, suggested he has earned more time at the helm - not least because of the fighting spirit his side displayed to beat the four-time world champions.

They began the 2026 qualifiers under Felix Sanchez, who guided them to three wins from six matches before the former Qatar boss was dismissed in July 2024, straight after a Copa America quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

Beccacece's reign began with a 1-0 defeat by Brazil but his side did not lose again in 11 matches as they qualified for the World Cup as runners-up in South America - only behind defending champions Argentina.

It meant they arrived at the tournament with high expectations and boasting a 19-game unbeaten run.

"I want people to fall in love with these footballers because this Ecuadorean team makes people fall in love with them. Then we can see how far we get," Beccacece said.

Read more here

Here's a reminder of the results from the overnight matches:

Group D

• Paraguay (3rd) 0-0 Australia (2nd)
• Turkey (4th) 3-2 USA (1st)

Group E

• Curacao (4th) 0-2 Ivory Coast (2nd)
• Ecuador (3rd) 2-1 Germany (1st)

Group F

• Japan (2nd) 1-1 Sweden (3rd)
• Tunisia (4th) 1-3 Netherlands (1st)

Each side's finishing position within the group is in brackets. Just click on the links in the score to read the full match reports.

Right, back to reaction from the overnight games, which included one hammer blow after another to Scotland's chances of progressing...

Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

While we are talking about World Cup odds, the chances are getting slimmer of Scotland squeezing into the last 32, but where there is a chance - albeit a slim 5.26% - there is hope.

Steve Clarke's side need four third-placed sides to finish the group stages with a worse record than their three points and -3 goal difference.

Six groups have been completed, and all five third-placed finishers in Groups A, B, D, E and F have finished with a better record than Scotland did in Group C.

There are now six groups left to complete - Groups I, H and G tonight (Friday) and Groups L, K and J on Saturday.

Below is what needs to happen in each group for Scotland to finish above the third-placed side. Remember - they need four of these six scenarios to finish in their favour:

FRIDAY

• Group I: Senegal and Iraq to draw. Or Iraq to beat Senegal by no more than two goals.
• Group H: Uruguay to lose to Spain.
• Group G: Iran to lose to Egypt.

SATURDAY

• Group L: Croatia to lose to Ghana by at least three goals.
• Group K: DR Congo v Uzbekistan to be a draw. Or Uzbekistan to win by no more than three goals.
• Group J: Austria and Algeria are on three points and a draw would send both through. Scotland need Algeria to lose by two or more goals, or Austria to be beaten by at least four goals.