Japan went in front eight minutes later, when Takuma Asano received the ball down the right wing before pulling away from defender Nico Schlotterbeck towards the penalty area and shooting high above Neuer into the net past the near post.
Following his substitution on in the 79th minute, the contest also saw the return of Mario Götze in a World Cup match, his first since scoring the decisive goal in extra time of the 2014 final against Argentina.
[10] Spain dominated possession, and were up 3–0 at half-time thanks to goals scored in a span of 20 minutes by Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres from the penalty spot.
Late strikes from substitutes Carlos Soler and Álvaro Morata saw the match conclude in a 7–0 Spanish win, the biggest margin of victory in a World Cup game since Portugal beat North Korea by the same scoreline in 2010.
[25] After Álvaro Morata scored with a header from five yards out after a cross from César Azpilicueta on the right to give Spain a 1–0 half-time lead, Ritsu Dōan equalized for Japan early into the second period, with his strike from outside the penalty area overpowering goalkeeper Unai Simón and going into the top right corner of the net.
[27] The live television camera angle created an optical illusion as if the pass to Tanaka was out of bounds, and the video assistant referee took several minutes to confirm that a sliver of the ball stayed in the field, making it a valid goal.
[28][29] Josek revealed that a total of four agencies — AP, Reuters, AFP and Getty Images —[29] were approved to enter the suspended catwalk to take bird's eye photos, but the latter three missed the shot because they were at the opposite side of the pitch anticipating a Spanish goal instead.
[35] After taking the lead in the first half through Serge Gnabry, Germany would be pegged pack in the second period following goals from Costa Rica scored by Yeltsin Tejeda and Juan Pablo Vargas.
Germany would quickly rally back with a brace from Kai Havertz and a late effort converted by Niclas Füllkrug to win the match 4–2, the same scoreline as the teams' previous World Cup encounter.
This meant that the 2014 champions had failed to reach the knockout stage in the two subsequent tournaments following their last World Cup title (having finished bottom of their group in 2018), the same fate that befell 2006 winners Italy in 2010 and 2014.