Match report
Brazil come from behind to beat Japan and reach World Cup last 16
Brazil defeated Japan 2-1 in the World Cup Round of 32 at NRG Stadium, overturning a half-time deficit to advance. Carlo Ancelotti's side dominated territory throughout but trailed at the break after Kaishu Sano struck for Japan in the 29th minute, capping a spell in which Hajime Moriyasu's team defended deep and looked to hit on the counter.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Brazil's response came after the interval when Casemiro levelled in the 56th minute, converting from an assist by Gabriel Magalhães to make it 1-1. The hosts continued to press for a winner, and it arrived deep into stoppage time when Gabriel Martinelli finished off a Bruno Guimarães assist in the 90th minute to complete the turnaround at 2-1.
The scoreline reflected a lopsided contest by the numbers, with Brazil enjoying 69% possession and firing 19 shots to Japan's five, seven of them on target. Japan committed 13 fouls to Brazil's four and picked up three yellow cards to Brazil's two, as Moriyasu's side were forced into a largely rear-guard effort against sustained pressure.
Casemiro scored the equalising goal and earned the highest rating on the pitch at 8.0, driving Brazil's second-half turnaround from midfield.
Brazil's 19 shots to Japan's five underlined how one-sided the attacking effort was over the 90 minutes.
Brazil beat Japan 2–1 (half-time 0–1).
Brazil met Japan in the World Cup (Round of 32). Kick-off was Monday, 29 June 2026, 17:00 UTC at NRG Stadium. Referee: Maurizio Mariani.
Key moments
- 29' Goal: Kaishu Sano — 0–1 · Watch Kaishu Sano's goal video (29')
- 56' Goal: Casemiro (assist: Gabriel Magalhães) — 1–1 · Watch Casemiro's goal video (56')
- 90' Goal: Gabriel Martinelli (assist: Bruno Guimarães) — 2–1 · Watch Gabriel Martinelli's goal video (90')
Starting line-ups
Brazil (4-3-3)
Japan (3-4-2-1)
- 1 Zion Suzuki
- 21 Hiroki Ito
- 3 Shogo Taniguchi
- 22 Takehiro Tomiyasu
- 13 Keito Nakamura
- 15 Daichi Kamada
- 24 Kaishu Sano
- 10 Ritsu Dōan (c)
- 11 Daizen Maeda
- 14 Junya Ito
- 18 Ayase Ueda
About this match
On this page: the Brazil vs Japan final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this World Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
- Watch Kaishu Sano's goal against Brazil (29').
- Watch Casemiro's goal against Japan (56').
- Watch Gabriel Martinelli's goal against Japan (90').
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Brazil 2–1 Japan. Explore more on the Brazil and Japan team pages or the World Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Brazil vs Japan?
Brazil beat Japan 2–1 (half-time 0–1).
›Who scored in Brazil vs Japan?
Kaishu Sano (29') for Japan; Casemiro (56') for Brazil; Gabriel Martinelli (90') for Brazil.
›Where can I watch Brazil vs Japan highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Brazil 2–1 Japan are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.