Brazil vs Japan

The teams had previously met 14 times, including once in the World Cup: a 4–1 group stage win for Brazil at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their latest encounter took place at the 2025 Kirin Challenge Cup last October, when Japan gained their first win ever against Brazil in a 3–2 comeback. After 29 minutes, Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano made a solo run from the halfway line, before shotting low from outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner of the net. Japan nearly conceded seven minutes into the second half, with goalkeeper Zion Suzuki just managing to keep it off the line. Defender Casemiro equalized for Brazil at 56 minutes, with a close-range header at the back post after a cross from Gabriel Magalhães from the left. With just a minute of added time remaining, Bruno Guimarães passed low into to Gabriel Martinelli on the left of the penalty area who shot low to the bottom right corner of the net in off the post to win the game for Brazil on a 2-1 scoreline. The victory advanced Brazil to the round of 16, where they will face either Ivory Coast or Norway. Japan were eliminated, marking the third consecutive World Cup that they have had the lead in the knockout rounds and lost, with previous defeats to Croatia (in 2022) and Belgium (in 2018).