FIFA World Cup 2026: Late Martinelli Goal Sends Brazil Past Japan Into Round of 16

Brazil's last-gasp triumph over Japan offered everything a knockout match should: tension, redemption and a finish that arrived only in the cruellest moment for the losing side.

The Selecao staged a stunning second-half turnaround to beat Japan in a thrilling Round of 32 clash at the 2026 World Cup, overturning a half-time deficit to book their place in the last 16.

Japan went into the break ahead, with Sano finding the net in the 29th minute. The Samurai Blue looked comfortable with their advantage at the interval, having matched Brazil for large stretches of the opening period.

Everything turned in the second half. Brazil emerged with renewed intensity, seizing control of possession and pressing Japan deep into their own half.

The pressure paid off in the 56th minute when Casemiro rose to meet a back-post delivery and headed home the equaliser.

With the score level, both sides searched for a breakthrough, but it was Brazil who found it when it mattered most. Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli struck in the 96th minute, a dramatic, injury-time winner that sent Brazil through and left Japan with nothing to show for their resilience.

It was a cruel way for Japan's campaign to take a blow. Brazil had chances to settle the contest well before that, dominating large periods of the second half and arguably deserving the win on the balance of play.

Brazil completed 682 passes throughout the match, with defender Gabriel Magalhaes alone attempting 135 of them, the highest tally recorded by any Brazil player so far this tournament.

It is the first time Brazil have come from behind at half-time to win a World Cup match since 2002, when they overturned a similar deficit against Turkiye.

Brazil's progress sends them into the Round of 16, joining co-hosts Canada in the next stage. Ancelotti's side will face the winner of Ivory Coast and Norway for a place in the quarter-finals.

Vinicius Jr endured a quiet evening for long stretches before producing a moment of brilliance. Receiving the ball with an exquisite first touch, he glided past two Japan defenders before poking a finish towards goal that appeared destined to find the net.

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, however, produced a remarkable save, pushing the effort onto the post at the last moment.

It was the kind of run and finish that would have been a serious contender for goal of the tournament, denied only by a save that matched it for quality.

For a Brazil side that had often lacked their trademark spark over the course of the match, the Vinicius Jr moment, followed soon after by Martinelli's decisive late strike, served as a reminder of the class this squad can call upon when it counts.