Gabriel Martinelli struck deep in stoppage time to send Brazil in the last 16 of 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Japan.
The Arsenal forward scored in the 96th minute after Bruno Guimaraes regained possession on the edge of the box and fed the ball to Martinelli, who calmly steered his effort wide of the post to settle a hotly contested tie in the 32nd round.
Late drama sealed the win for Brazil
Japan looked the better part of the first half and deservedly took the lead through Kaishu Sano.
The midfielder took advantage of Danilo’s errant pass, slipped past Casemiro and fired low into the bottom corner to give the Asian side the lead.
Brazil struggled to find their rhythm before the break, but came back with more urgency after the restart.
The equalizer came 10 minutes into the second half when Casemiro headed home Gabriel’s close-range cross to level for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Moments later, Brazil almost completed the turnaround through Vinicius Junior.
The striker went past two defenders after picking up the ball inside the Japanese half, but goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made a superb save to push the ball onto the post.
Brazil ready for a knockout challenge
Japan remained disciplined in defense and looked capable of forcing extra time as Brazil found it increasingly difficult to create clear-cut chances.
However, their resistance was broken in the dying seconds after Ao Tanaka lost possession near his own penalty area.
Guimaraes reacted quickly to win the ball back before finding Martinelli, who kept his composure and scored the decisive goal to send the five-time world champions into the last 16.
Brazil’s tenacity proved decisive in the end against a determined Japan side that had long matched the South Americans but failed to produce another World Cup setback.
Ancelotti’s side will now continue their quest for a record sixth World Cup title after surviving one of their toughest tests of the tournament to date.
