Brazil booked their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Japan, thanks to a late winner from Gabriel Martinelli in Houston on Tuesday.
The five-time world champions struggled for much of the match as Japan’s disciplined defense and goalkeeper Suzuki kept them frustrated. Despite dominating possession in the first half, Brazil failed to create clear-cut opportunities.
Japan stunned Brazil in the 29th minute when Sano capitalized on a misplaced pass from Danilo and fired a precise shot from outside the box past Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson to put his side ahead.
The goal left Brazil under heavy pressure, and for the remainder of the first half, the South American giants looked far from their usual rhythm.
Brazil returned with renewed intensity after the break and nearly equalized in the 55th minute. Casemiro’s diving header from close range was dramatically blocked on the goal line by Tomiyasu, who reacted just in time to deny the midfielder.
However, just a minute later, Casemiro made amends. The veteran midfielder powered home a strong header in the 56th minute to level the score, igniting celebrations among Brazilian fans.
Brazil continued to push forward and almost took the lead in the 60th minute. Vinícius Júnior produced a moment of brilliance by nutmegging Tomiyasu and unleashing a fierce shot, but Suzuki got fingertips to the ball, pushing it onto the post.
As the match looked set for extra time, Brazil found the breakthrough deep into stoppage time. In the fifth minute of added time, Bruno Guimarães set up substitute Martinelli, who curled a superb shot into the net to complete the comeback.
Japan paid the price for becoming overly defensive in the closing stages, while Brazil advanced to the knockout stage in dramatic fashion.
