2026 World Cup: Brazil Wins in the Final Seconds; Martinelli Knocks Out Japan in the 96th Minute. Ancelotti Advances to the Round of 16
Brazil pulls it off at the last minute: the Verdeoro beat Japan 2-1 thanks to a goal by Martinelli in the 96th minute and qualify for the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup in North America. Carlo Ancelotti’s team in Houston had to work their fingers to the bone to overcome the highly organized Blue Samurai, who ended the first half with a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal by Sano and were tied in the second half by Casemiro. The decisive goal came from a substitute, Martinelli: the Seleção’s journey continues.
Brazil dominated possession in the first half but was ineffective in attack. Carlo Ancelotti’s team is slow and predictable, and the players tasked with delivering the final pass to the forwards are very inaccurate. In contrast, the Blue Samurai are more effective, and in the 30th minute they take the lead thanks to Sano: Danilo loses the ball in the attacking third, Sano breaks toward Alisson’s goal, catching the entire Seleção defense off guard, then beats the Liverpool goalkeeper—who was slow to react—with a diagonal shot from the edge of the box. Brazil’s reaction is sluggish; the South Americans try to shake things up, but the Japanese defense holds firm against attempts by Paquetà, Guimaraes, and Vinicius.
In the second half, Ancelotti brings on Endrick for Paquetà, adding another forward. The substitution seems to pay off, as the Seleção lays siege to Japan’s goal; in the 52nd minute, Suzuki makes a great diving save on Guimaraes’ header, and in the 54th minute, Tomiyasu clears Casemiro’s shot off the line. An equalizer is in the air and comes in the 55th minute: Casemiro scores with a header off a cross from the left by Gabriel.
Brazil looks to capitalize on the momentum, and in the 58th minute, Vinicius hits the post; shortly after, Alisson makes a save on Ueda’s shot. The Seleção applied maximum pressure; in the 74th minute, Rayan missed a chance to make it 2-1 when Suzuki deflected the ball for a corner.
In the closing minutes, the play that decides the match arrives: in the 96th minute, Bruno Guimaraes finds the newly substituted Martinelli in the box, who beats Suzuki and sends Brazil to the Round of 16.
