Brazil come from behind to beat Japan 2-1 and reach the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup
The Brazilian national team fell behind on the scoreboard but found the strength to react and beat Japan 2-1 on Monday (29th), in Houston, in the United States. Goals from Casemiro and Gabriel Martinelli secured qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup. The protagonists of the comeback? All of them developed in the Premier League.
How the game unfolded
Brazil started better, controlled possession and created the first chances. But it was Japan who opened the scoring: Kaishu Sano exploited space and found the net in the first half. A Japanese advantage at the break.
In the second half, Carlo Ancelotti changed the side and Brazil responded. Casemiro, of Manchester United, equalised after a precise cross from Gabriel Magalhães, the Arsenal defender. The equaliser lifted the group, but the turnaround still took time.
In the closing minutes, Endrick lost a ball in the attacking third. Rayan, the Bournemouth forward, pounced on the loose ball and finished into the corner, leaving Zion Suzuki no chance. Brazil ahead. Brazil qualified.
The Premier League inside the green and yellow dressing room
Ancelotti called up eight players from the English league for the World Cup. At this tournament, they are not just present – they are deciding matches.
Alisson and Gabriel Magalhães form a solid pairing among the starters. Casemiro, who is living through his last season at United before a likely departure, has regained the consistency that seemed lost in recent years. Bruno Guimarães remains one of the best midfielders in the tournament: a symbol of Newcastle, he was a key piece in the Magpies’ League Cup triumph – the club’s first title in 70 years.
Rayan, a Bournemouth revelation since January, has already shown character in two games. In the duels against Scotland and Japan, the pressing applied by the forward on the opponent’s build-up generated direct opportunities for Brazil to score. Martinelli, less hyped than the others, decided the match with intelligence.
Igor Thiago is the only one of the Premier League call-ups who has yet to make his mark. Runner-up top scorer in the English league with 22 goals for Brentford this season, the centre-forward made his debut against Morocco, wasted clear chances and lost his spot to Matheus Cunha.
What lies ahead
Reaching the last 16 ends a cycle of tension within the group. In recent years, the relationship between the players’ performances in English football and their displays for the national team was one of the most discussed points of friction. The 2026 World Cup is beginning to change that narrative.
The opponent in the round of 16 has yet to be defined, but Brazil reach the knockout rounds with more confidence, with an attacking system that is starting to click and with the Premier League increasingly present at the heart of Ancelotti’s team.
