On July 1st, Beijing time (CEST), in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, France easily defeated Sweden 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16. After Sweden's elimination, a curious pattern regarding Japan was once again extended—since the 2018 FIFA World Cup, teams that have eliminated Japan or advanced from the same group have consistently reached the semifinals of that tournament, only to fall short of the final.

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Japan and Colombia qualified together from their group. In the Round of 16, Japan lost 2-3 to Belgium, and Colombia was eliminated by England after a penalty shootout. Both Belgium and England advanced to the semifinals but were eliminated there.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Japan and Spain qualified together from their group. In the Round of 16, Japan lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout, and Spain also lost to Morocco in a penalty shootout. Both Croatia and Morocco advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to Argentina and France respectively, failing to reach the final.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden advanced together from their group. In the Round of 32, Japan lost 1-2 to Brazil, the Netherlands was eliminated by Morocco in a penalty shootout, and Sweden was defeated 0-3 by France. All three teams—Brazil, Morocco, and France—advanced to the semifinals. Let's wait and see whether this pattern continues.

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