Brazil reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Japan 2-1 at the NRG Stadium, in a thrilling match that held the breath of Samba fans who were waiting to qualify and continue the journey towards a sixth title in their history.
Kaisho Sano, 25, a player of the German club Mainz, opened the scoring for Japan in the 29th minute, after a ground shot that goalkeeper Alisson Becker was unable to deal with, and Brazil then tried to reach the goal of Zion Suzuki without success in the first half.
As the second half began, former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro equalized in the 56th minute with a header. As the two teams headed towards two extra halfs, Gabriel Martinelli received a superb pass inside the box from his Newcastle United teammate Bruno Guimaraes, and with his right foot fired a ball into the Suzuki net.
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti did not include Brazilian star Neymar da Silva in this clash, while Real Madrid's player Endrick, who played on loan to Lyon this season, was one of the most active names when he entered the second half, knowing that Samba will face the winner of the last 16 clash between Ivory Coast and Norway.
Ancelotti cleverly escapes Japan's trap
Brazil, led by 67-year-old Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, avoided the 2026 World Cup bid farewell since the second round and the Brazil coach used the tactical acumen he was known for in his experiences with clubs, especially with Spain's Real Madrid.
Ancelotti pulled on injured midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the second half, bringing in centre-back Endrick, whom he knows well since he was behind his signing by Real Madrid, who left on loan to Lyon in the last winter mercato.
This adjustment gave Brazil an attacking depth that was missing in the first half, with further tactical adjustments that completely turned things around in the second, following a first half that saw a clear Japanese superiority mainly in the middle of the field.
Ancelotti recalled his memories with Real Madrid through the champions of the match or the final scenario of the confrontation, as the "Samba" team achieved qualification with a goal in the alternate time, a scenario that the Italian coach experienced in his experience with the Royal Club on many occasions, especially in the Champions League final.
Vinicius was the star of the match, although he did not score any goal in this edition of the World Cup, but he was behind all the dangerous attacks of his country and had luck on one occasion, but what he did shows that he has reached the level of maturity that he lacked in some periods with Real Madrid.
Why was Neymar banned from playing against Japan?
Neymar did not participate in the match that brought together the "Samba" team in Japan, as Neymar was a substitute in this match after participating in the previous match against Scotland, in the third round of the 2026 World Cup, which is his first appearance with his country's national team in many months.
Neymar made warm-ups in the second half of the match against Japan, hoping to participate, but the Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, did not give him the opportunity to show up and support his teammates in the difficult match.
"I spoke to Neymar, he was supposed to play between the 60th or 65th minutes," the Italian coach said as he left the stadium in remarks quoted by Brazil's Globo, "but we equalized (by Casemiro in the 56th minute) and I didn't want to change the lineup, because the team was in control of the game."
Ancelotti added that he was considering extra quotas to give the Brazilian star the chance to participate, but Gabriel Martinelli scored a decisive goal that qualified the "Samba" team for the next round of the competition.
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