Brazil needed every minute of their Round of 32 match against Japan to keep their record sixth World Cup title hopes alive with a 2-1 comeback win in Houston on Monday.
Japan took a lead near the half-hour mark through Kaishu Sano as Casemiro and Gabriel Magalhaes switched off in their own half.
MORE — USMNT upcoming schedule, recent results
But those players combined for Casemiro’s 56th minute equalizer and second-half sub Gabriel Martinelli took a pass from likely Man of the Match winner Bruno Guimaraes to win the game with a classy finish in the sixth of six minutes’ stoppage time.
The Round of 32 opponents had met more than a dozen times with Brazil controlling the rivalry but also losing the last match-up in October.
Now Brazil move on to face the winner of Ivory Coast and Norway on July 5 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Brazil vs Japan final score: 2-1
Kaishu Sano 29', Casemiro 56', Gabriel Martinelli 90+6'
Every exit feels harsh, but Brazil’s winner feels deserved.
At the death!
It’s the sixth of six minutes’ stoppage time and Gabriel Martinelli has done it, taking an incisive pass from Guimaraes and using two touches to presumably win this one.
Suzuki only gets a piece of his close-range shot and it dinks off the post and over the line.
Fabinho is into the game as goal scorer Casemiro has picked up a knock or a leg injury of some sorts and cannot continue through stoppage time.
Vinicius Junior takes a long pass and uses his first touch to nutmeg a defender, then juking to his left and angling a shot for the far post.
Suzuki somehow gets a hand to it and turns the shot off the far post to keep it 1-1.
Japan could use a moment or 10 of control to release the pressure.
No goal line clearance on this Casemiro header!
Another shot on target for Guimaraes, who nods a Danilo cross toward goal only to see Suzuki push it away with two hands.
Japan lead 1-0 in the 53rd minute and now get a goal line clearance to deny Casemiro in the 54th.
Brazil made one sub at the break, bringing Endrick in for an injured Lucas Paqueta.
Well, well, well...
Possession? Brazil, 68%
xG? Brazil, 0.31-0.21
Shot attempts? Brazil, 8-4
Touches in opposition box? Brazil, 16-2
Sports!
WOW!
Against the run of play, Kaishu Sano drives down the heart of the pitch.
Casemiro can’t catch him, and Gabriel Magalhaes backs way off the attacker.
Alisson’s dive to reach a low, far post shot is not enough.
Japan lead in the 29th minute on Sano’s first senior goal. Good time and place for it!
¡¡¡LOCURA TOTAL EN HOUSTON!!! ¡¡¡GOLAAAAAZO DE JAPÓN!!!
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 29, 2026
Kaishū Sano aprovecha un error en la salida de Brasil y saca un disparo raso para abrir el marcador. pic.twitter.com/khIltlOdeB
Brazil are certainly better so far, but there’s been no real and true dangerous chance so far — just one shot dragged well wide of a likely covered post.
Possession is over 80% for Brazil after 10 minutes.
There have been two shot attempts, but from the Selecao‘s Bruno Guimaraes.
Japan lineup: Suzuki, Tomiyasu, Taniguchi, H. Ito, Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura, Maeda, J. Ito, Ueda
Starting XI: Alisson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Magalhaes, Douglas Santos, Casemiro, Guimaraes, Paqueta, Rayan, Cunha, Vinicius Junior
The bench includes Neymar, Endrick, and Gabriel Martinelli.
Kick off time: 1pm ET Monday, June 29
Venue: Houston Stadium
TV Channel: Telemundo, FOX
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock, en Espanol
