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Soccer isn’t played by the same strict clock as most other sports, but Brazil came as close to hitting the buzzer as the sport allows.
After a beautiful display of passing from the five-time World Cup champions, Gabriel Martinelli found the back of the net in the 96th minute to give Brazil a 2-1 victory over Japan.
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Gabriel Martinelli of Brazil celebrates with his teammates after scoring the team’s second goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Japan at Houston Stadium. (Michael Regan/FIFA via Getty Images)
Brazil entered Monday’s round of 32 match against Japan as heavy favorites to advance, but it was the Japanese who struck first. Kaishu Sano scored for Japan, a team that finished second in Group F after drawing with the Netherlands and Sweden and beating Tunisia 4-0, so they were not an overmatched opponent despite the huge difference in World Cup history.
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The goal arose from a mistake by Brazil near midfield. Sanó caught a misplaced pass, carried the ball himself and fired a right-footed shot from outside the box past Alisson to give Japan a surprising lead in the 29th minute.
Brazil controlled the action in the second half and it seemed that a tie was imminent. That was the case, as Casemiro tied the game with a header from inside the box just over ten minutes into the second half.
Brazil fans celebrate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan at Houston Stadium. (Images by Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi)
Casemiro almost equalized two minutes earlier, but did not waste his next opportunity. Gabriel Magalhães sent a ball into the area and Casemiro headed just out of reach of Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to finally break through.
Brazil almost took the lead almost immediately. Vinícius Júnior, who has been one of the stars of the tournament for Brazil, broke free on the left side of the area in the 58th minute, but Suzuki had enough of a shot to send the ball to the far post.
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Gabriel Martinelli, who came on in the second half, finally achieved the moment that Brazil spent almost the entire match chasing. He received the ball on the left wing, took a touch and calmly sent a low shot to the far post.
Japanese players react after losing to Brazil during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match at Houston Stadium. (Sean M. Haffey/FIFA)
Brazil continued to control the game during the second half, but were unable to score the go-ahead goal. That changed at the end, when Brazil got the goal they needed to advance to the round of 16.
Brazil now awaits the winner of the Ivory Coast-Norway for its round of 16 opponent. Japan, meanwhile, was still unable to claim its first victory in the knockout phase of a World Cup, but made the five-time champions sweat until the final seconds.
