Japan produced one of the most memorable performances in their footballing history, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Brazil 3–2 at the Ajinomoto Stadium — their first-ever win over Carlo Ancelotti’s
side.
Brazil looked set for a routine victory early on. Paulo Henrique opened the scoring with his first international goal, a neat finish that capped a promising spell of Brazilian possession. Minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead. At this stage, Brazil was eyeing another big scoreline like their 5-0 win over South Korea.
The second half, however, turned the game on its head. Japan emerged with renewed intensity, capitalizing on Brazil’s lack of solidity at the back. Fabricio Bruno’s error gifted Takumi Minamino the simplest of chances to smash home from close range, breathing life into the contest. Momentum swiftly swung further when Junya Ito’s precise cross was met by Keito Nakamura, whose header deflected off a yellow shirt and past Hugo Souza to level the score.
Brazil briefly thought they had restored their lead in the 67th minute when Matheus Cunha found the net, only for VAR to rule it offside. The miss proved costly. Moments later, Ayase Ueda rose highest from Ito’s corner to nod Japan ahead, his second header proving too powerful for Souza to handle.
Rodrygo – introduced in the second half by Ancelotti – completed four dribbles in his 33 minutes, was one of Brazil’s few bright sparks, while Vinícius Jr. — with 22 accurate passes and three defensive contributions — struggled to find his usual rhythm in his 57 minutes of action. Real Madrid defender Éder Militão was rested for this game.
Despite Brazil’s late pressure, Japan’s defense held firm, sealing a dramatic, well-deserved victory. The hosts ended the night with 2.49 expected goals to Brazil’s 0.61.
