World Cup 2026: Brazil come from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in round of 32 in Houston

Brazil beat Japan 2-1 at NRG Stadium in Houston in their World Cup 2026 round-of-32 match on June 29. After falling behind, head coach Carlo Ancelotti and his players managed to turn the game around thanks in particular to goals from Casemiro and Gabriel Martinelli in stoppage time, securing their qualification for the round of 16.

Japan had opened the scoring through Kaishu Sano in the 29th minute, but could not hold out against Brazilian pressure in the second half. This knockout match therefore brings Japan’s run to an end, while Brazil continue their journey in the competition.

Playing in a 4-3-3 system, Brazil started Alisson in goal, protected by a defense made up of Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos. The midfield featured Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá, supporting an attacking trio of Rayan, Matheus Cunha and Vinícius Júnior. Despite a difficult start, the Brazilian XI showed character.

Japan opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation with Zion Suzuki in goal, supported in defense by Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi and Hiroki Itō. In midfield, Kaishu Sano, Daichi Kamada, Keito Nakamura and Ritsu Doan played behind an attacking line composed of Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda and Ayase Ueda. Hajime Moriyasu sought to disrupt Brazil’s style but saw his team drop deeper after opening the scoring.

The first half was marked by high intensity and several yellow cards, notably for K. Sano and Kamada on the Japanese side, as well as Casemiro for Brazil. Sano was the key figure in the opening goal, rewarding effective pressing.

Brazil impose their tactical superiority after Japan’s opener

After falling behind, Brazil regained control of the match by increasing their possession, finishing with 68% over the course of the game. Casemiro played a key role, acting both as ball-winner and scorer of the equalizing goal in the 56th minute from an assist by Gabriel Guimarães. The introduction of Lucas Paquetá in the second half brought greater creativity and attacking support, particularly for forwards Matheus Cunha and Vinícius Júnior.

At the end of regulation time, substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal in added time from a Bruno Guimarães pass. The late finish confirmed Brazil’s resilience and collective quality, driven by their coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Japan resist but give way under Brazilian pressure

Japan surprised Brazil by opening the scoring through Kaishu Sano, who stood out for his fighting spirit but also picked up an early yellow card. Hajime Moriyasu’s side tried to control the game from their 3-4-2-1 formation, with a compact block in front of Zion Suzuki’s goal, the goalkeeper making several important saves.

Despite a solid defensive organization and attacking changes in the second half, Japan were unable to hold on to their advantage. The substitutions of key players such as Ritsu Doan and Daichi Kamada could not reverse the momentum against a well-orchestrated Brazil team.

This defeat eliminates Japan from the competition, and they must now wait for their next international assignment to continue their project of progress on the world stage.

Brazil

Finished 2-1 NRG Stadium

Japan

29/06/2026 18:00 · Round of 32

Fil du match

1. 12'Carton jaune - K. SanoJapon, 12e
2. 14'Carton jaune - CasemiroBrésil, 14e
3. 29'⚽But - K. SanoJapon, 29e
4. 45'Carton jaune - D. KamadaJapon, 45e
5. 46'↑↓Remplacement - Lucas Paqueta (remplace Endrick)Brésil, 46e
6. 48'Carton jaune - DaniloBrésil, 48e
7. 56'⚽But - Casemiro (passe Gabriel)Brésil, 56e
8. 66'↑↓Remplacement - M. Cunha (remplace G. Martinelli)Brésil, 66e
9. 66'↑↓Remplacement - R. Doan (remplace Y. Sugawara)Japon, 66e
10. 66'↑↓Remplacement - K. Nakamura (remplace J. Suzuki)Japon, 66e
11. 78'↑↓Remplacement - D. Kamada (remplace A. Tanaka)Japon, 78e
12. 78'↑↓Remplacement - J. Ito (remplace S. Machino)Japon, 78e
13. 84'Carton jaune - J. SuzukiJapon, 84e
14. 90+2'↑↓Remplacement - Casemiro (remplace Fabinho)Brésil, 90+2e
15. 90+5'⚽But - G. Martinelli (passe Bruno Guimaraes)Brésil, 90+5e
16. 90+7'↑↓Remplacement - D. Maeda (remplace K. Ogawa)Japon, 90+7e
17. 90+8'↑↓Remplacement - Bruno Guimaraes (remplace Danilo Santos)Brésil, 90+8e

Les chiffres du match

• Tirs cadres : Brazil 6 / Japan 2
• Tirs : Brazil 16 / Japan 5
• Possession : Brazil 68% / Japan 32%
• Corners : Brazil 3 / Japan 2
• Fautes : Brazil 4 / Japan 8
• Cartons jaunes : Brazil 2 / Japan 2
• Passes : Brazil 588 / Japan 273
• Precision des passes : Brazil 92% / Japan 84%
• xG : Brazil 1.44 / Japan 0.23

Joueurs clés

• Casemiro (Brazil) : note 8.2, 1 but(s), 1 carton(s) jaune(s)
• Kaishu Sano (Japan) : note 7.6, 1 but(s), 1 carton(s) jaune(s)
• Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil) : note 7.3, 1 passe(s) decisive(s)
• Zion Suzuki (Japan) : note 7.3, 4 arret(s)
• Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan) : note 7.7

Round of 32 schedule

View full schedule

View match details for South Africa - Canada

28/06 Round of 32

South Africa

Finished 0-1 SoFi Stadium

Canada

View match details for Brazil - Japan

29/06 Round of 32

Brazil

Finished 2-1 NRG Stadium

Japan

View match details for Germany - Paraguay

29/06 Round of 32

Germany

Penalties finished 1-1 (3-4 pens) Gillette Stadium

Paraguay

View match details for Netherlands - Morocco

30/06 Round of 32

Netherlands

Penalties finished 1-1 (2-3 pens) Estadio BBVA

Morocco

View match details for Ivory Coast - Norway

30/06 Round of 32

Ivory Coast

Finished 1-2 AT&T Stadium

Norway

View match details for France - Sweden

30/06 Round of 32

France

Finished 3-0 MetLife Stadium

Sweden

View match details for Mexico - Ecuador

01/07 Round of 32

Mexico

Finished 2-0 Estadio Banorte

Ecuador

View match details for England - DR Congo

01/07 Round of 32

England

Finished 2-1 Mercedes-Benz Stadium

DR Congo

View match details for Belgium - Senegal

01/07 Round of 32

Belgium

After extra time 3-2 AET Lumen Field

Senegal

View match details for United States - Bosnia and Herzegovina

02/07 Round of 32

United States

Finished 2-0 Levi's Stadium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

View match details for Spain - Austria

02/07 Round of 32

Spain

Finished 3-0 SoFi Stadium

Austria

View match details for Portugal - Croatia

03/07 Round of 32

Portugal

Finished 2-1 BMO Field

Croatia

View match details for Switzerland - Algeria

03/07 Round of 32

Switzerland

Finished 2-0 BC Place

Algeria

View match details for Australia - Egypt

03/07 Round of 32

Australia

Penalties finished 1-1 (2-4 pens) AT&T Stadium

Egypt

View match details for Argentina - Cape Verde

03/07 Round of 32

Argentina

After extra time 3-2 AET Hard Rock Stadium

Cape Verde

View match details for Colombia - Ghana

04/07 Round of 32

Colombia

Finished 1-0 Arrowhead Stadium

Ghana