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Updated on 29 Jun 2026
Gabriel Martinelli scored a late winner to make it five Brazil won 2-1 in Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in Houston.
Martinelli, a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the game looked set to go into extra time on Monday.
Brazil will face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.
Casemiro equalized with a header in the 56th minute from Gabriel Magalhaes after missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot narrowly missed the outstretched arm of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.
Kaishu Sano stole an errant pass midway through the game and fired home a right-footed shot from the top of the half to put Japan ahead in the 29th minute.
Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far in this year’s tournament, had a chance to put Brazil ahead in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left box was deflected by Suzuki and went wide.
Casemiro left in the first minute of the second half with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Brazil had two chances to score early in the second half before falling behind. First, Suzuki blocked Bruno Guimaraes’ header in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off the defender’s head and Suzuki’s face. Suzuki finished with four saves.
Japan has never won a knockout tournament at a World Cup.
The win was Brazil’s 12th in 15 games against Japan. The teams also played in two draws, with Japan winning the series for the first time in Tokyo in October.
This was an alliance between two countries with deep ties, with Brazil being home to 2.7 million Japanese people, the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
This partnership also extends to football, where Brazilian star Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help create the Japanese football network. He coached the Japan national team from 2002-06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.
The team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.
Brazil won Group C after drawing with Morocco and defeating Haiti and Scotland.
Monday’s victory came on the anniversary of Sweden’s first World Cup in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored twice in the final against the host nation.
Japan reached the round of 32 as last in Group F after matches with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss ends a 10-match unbeaten run since the United States lost 2-0 in September.
