Van Hecke header seals Netherlands 3-1 win over Tunisia

Jan Paul van Hecke’s 62nd-minute header restored the Netherlands’ control against Tunisia and drained the brief momentum that had built after Hazem Mastouri cut the lead to 2-1. Tijjani Reijnders delivered the corner with precision, Van Hecke met it cleanly in the area, and the ball flew into the top corner to make it 3-1 in Kansas City, Missouri.

That goal mattered because it changed the game state. Tunisia had found a foothold in the second half after Brian Brobbey’s third World Cup goal and an early own goal had put the Dutch ahead, then Mastouri’s header in the 54th minute narrowed the margin and forced Ronald Koeman’s side to defend a more fragile lead. Van Hecke’s finish immediately re-established the cushion and removed the sense that one more Tunisia surge could turn the match.

From there, the Netherlands could play with greater control instead of urgency. The match, played on June 25, 2026 at Kansas City Stadium, also called Arrowhead Stadium, ended 3-1 and confirmed the Dutch as winners of Group F with seven points. Tunisia finished with zero points and exited the tournament, unable to make the second-half response stick after Van Hecke’s set-piece strike shifted the balance back.

Van Hecke’s role was not limited to the score line. He completed 131 successful passes in the match, a figure cited in ESPN’s live statistical record as the highest by a Dutch player in a World Cup match since Opta began tracking the data in 1966. Under that same record, no player who reached that passing total had also scored in a World Cup match, a rare combination for a defender who helped shape both possession and the decisive third goal.

The victory set up another knockout assignment for the Netherlands, who will face Morocco on June 29, 2026 in Monterrey. For a side that had already shown early scoring punch and enough defensive resolve to survive Tunisia’s reply, Van Hecke’s header made the closing stretch about game management rather than survival.