North Texan hosting Japan fan ahead of match vs. Sweden at Dallas Stadium

North Texan hosts and welcomes Japan fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup match, with Maggie Walters bringing in a Japanese student as part of the tournament’s build-up. Walters is hosting 22-year-old Yuto Osato, whom NBC 5’s Noelle Walker met two weeks earlier. Osato biked from Pittsburgh to Grand Prairie for a month-long, 1,500-mile trip; he also attended Japan’s group games, including a 4-0 win over Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico. He was set to travel by bus to Monterrey but received a free plane ticket and lodging after flying with a Mexican airline. Osato joined a welcome party at Harwood Park in downtown Dallas, and Japan plays Sweden at 6 p.m. local time tonight with knockout-round qualification at stake. Rex’s in Fort Worth and Plano also hosted gatherings, while Group F’s top team faces Morocco on Monday, June 29 at 8 p.m. CST, and second place plays Brazil in Houston at noon.