Revealed On 29 Jun 2026
Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner late in damage time to offer five-time champions Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan within the World Cup spherical of 32 in Houston.
Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored within the sixth minute of stoppage time because the match on Monday gave the impression to be heading to additional time.
Brazil will subsequent face both the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, within the spherical of 16.
Casemiro had earlier equalised with a header within the 56th minute off an help from Gabriel Magalhaes after simply lacking one other probability two minutes earlier. The shot sailed simply out of attain of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the web.
Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced move in midfield earlier than his right-footed shot from above the half-circle put Japan forward after 29 minutes.
Vinicius Junior, who has scored 4 objectives to this point within the event, had an opportunity to place Brazil on prime within the 58th minute, however his shot from the left was deflected by goalkeeper Suzuki and went previous the far put up.
Brazil had two possibilities to even the rating early within the second half earlier than breaking via late on. First, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimaraes within the 52nd minute. Quickly after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face.
Japan have by no means received a World Cup knockout match.
The win was Brazil’s twelfth in 15 video games in opposition to Japan. The groups have additionally performed to 2 attracts, whereas Japan acquired their first win within the sequence in a pleasant in Tokyo in October.
This was a match-up between two international locations with deep ties, Brazil being house to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the most important Japanese inhabitants outdoors of Japan.
These ties prolong to soccer, the place Brazil celebrity Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and assist construct Japan’s skilled soccer community. He coached the Japan nationwide group from 2002–06, main the group to the World Cup in 2006.
That group misplaced to Brazil 4-1 in the one earlier assembly between the groups on the World Cup.
Brazil received Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland.
Monday’s victory got here on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two objectives within the remaining in opposition to the host nation.
Japan reached the spherical of 32 as runner-up in Group F after attracts with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak relationship again to a 2-0 defeat to the US in September.
