In Mexico City, at the Azteca Stadium, one of the most dramatic matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolded. The Brazilian national team, led by Carlo Ancelotti, managed to turn the tide against the tenacious Japanese side and secure a spot in the quarterfinals. The decisive goal was scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time, delivering incredible emotions to the "Selecao" fans.

Pressure and a Mistake

The match began with a clear territorial advantage for the Brazilians. However, their positional attacks were long thwarted by the solid defense of the Asians. The Japanese acted with discipline and capitalized on the opponent's first error. In the 29th minute, defender Danilo lost the ball in the center of the field. Kaishu Sano seized the initiative and struck a magnificent shot from long range into the far corner of the goal. This was the Japanese player's debut goal for the national team, making the score 0-1.

Brazil's Reaction and a Willpower Victory

In the second half, the Brazilians turned up the power to maximum. The pressure bore fruit in the 56th minute: Gabriel made a precise pass to the far corner of the penalty area, where Casemiro won an aerial duel and sent the ball into the net. Following this, the Brazilians laid a true siege on the opponent's goal. Vinicius Junior took a dangerous shot, but the Japanese goalkeeper Dion Suzuki performed miracles, saving his team from defeat.

When it seemed the match would go into overtime, in the 90+5th minute, Brazil organized a perfect counter-attack. Bruno Guimarães put Gabriel Martinelli in a shooting position. Ancelotti's substitute equalized with a technical shot into the far corner and then secured the victory — 2-1. This goal was a triumph of tactical patience and skill.

Historical Context and Statistics

This victory allowed Brazil to continue its 30-year streak of dominance over Japan in official matches. In total, this is the "Selecao's" 12th win in 15 head-to-head encounters. The match statistics became the reason for several historical achievements:

  • For the first time since 2002 (after the legendary game against England), Brazil has achieved a comeback victory in a World Cup knockout match.
  • The South Americans have reached the top 16 teams in the world for the 23rd time in their history. The last time they were eliminated at such an early stage was back in 1990.
  • For the Japanese national team, the "curse" of the first knockout round continues. The Samurai have yet to win a single match in the World Cup knockout stages, recording their fifth failure at this stage in history (after 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022).

Who's Next?

In the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Brazil will play against the winner of the Ivory Coast – Norway pair. This match will take place on Tuesday, June 30, at 20:00 Kyiv time. We remind you that the day before, the first participant in the quarterfinals was determined — the tournament hosts, the USA national team, successfully advanced to the next round.