Brazil snatched victory over Japan and progressed to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup
The Brazilian national team beat Japan in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match at NRG Stadium in Houston ended in a 2–1 victory for Brazil.
From the opening minutes, Carlo Ancelotti’s side had more possession and created more chances in front of the opposition’s goal. Despite Brazil’s dominance, it was Japan who opened the scoring.
In the 29th minute, Kaisu Sano, a midfielder for German side Mainz, intercepted a pass from Danilo in the centre of the pitch, drove forward with the ball and put Japan ahead with a precise low shot into the left-hand corner.
After the break, Brazil stepped up their attacking play considerably and began to put sustained pressure on the opposition’s defence. In the 54th minute, Matheus Cunha had a brilliant chance to equalise, but from close range he struck the head of a defender standing on the goal line. After the rebound, the ball ended up with the goalkeeper.
Just two minutes later, the Brazilians got their reward. In the 56th minute, Casemiro met Gabriel’s cross from the left flank with a header under the crossbar to level the score.
In the 58th minute, Brazil came close to scoring a second goal. Vinícius Júnior dribbled past several opponents and shot towards the far corner, but Japan’s goalkeeper, Dzion Suzuki, saved his team by tipping the ball onto the post.
Brazil scored the winning goal in stoppage time. In the 90+5th minute, Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli received a pass from Bruno Guimarães and, with a precise shot from the left-hand corner of the penalty area, found the far corner.
Brazil qualified for the knockout stages as top of Group C. In the group stage, the Brazilians drew 1–1 with Morocco, and beat Haiti 3–0 and Scotland 3–0.
Japan finished second in Group F. The team drew 2–2 with the Netherlands and 1–1 with Sweden, and thrashed Tunisia 4–0.
In the round of 16, Brazil will face the winner of the Ivory Coast v Norway match. This fixture will take place on 30 June at 20:00 Kyiv time.
The 2026 World Cup is being held from 11 June to 19 July in the USA, Mexico and Canada. This is the first World Cup to feature 48 national teams, the largest number in the tournament’s history.
