Brazil and Japan meet in Houston
The World Cup 2026 knockout stages are underway, with Brazil set to face Japan in the round of 32. The match will take place in Houston, where the NRG Stadium is equipped with air conditioning, despite temperatures expected to reach 33 or 34 degrees Celsius. This fixture marks the 74th game of the tournament, which is now in its final 20 days.
Brazil enters the match having topped Group C after an initial 1-1 draw with Morocco, followed by successive 3-0 victories against Haiti and Scotland. Japan, meanwhile, remains unbeaten in the tournament, having drawn 2-2 with the Netherlands, secured a 4-0 win against Tunisia, and drawn 1-1 with Sweden.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 12 noon in Houston. The referee for the encounter will be Maurizio Mariani from Italy, assisted by Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni. Mariani has previously officiated the 1-1 draw between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and Colombia’s 1-0 victory against DR Congo in this World Cup.
Squad and recent form
Japan’s confirmed starting XI includes Suzuki; Tomiyasu, Taniguchi, H Ito; Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; J Ito, Maeda; and Ueda. Their manager, Hajime Moriyasu, has been in charge for eight years, reportedly winning 74 of his 107 games.
Brazil’s confirmed lineup features Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Santos; Casemiro, Bruno, Paqueta; Rayan, Cunha, and Vinicius Jr. Matheus Cunha has been a standout performer for Brazil, scoring three goals in his first three appearances in the tournament. He also had an impressive first season at Manchester United after moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring 10 goals and assisting two others as United finished third in the Premier League.
Neymar, who missed Brazil’s first two matches due to a calf problem, made an appearance off the bench against Scotland and could feature more prominently against Japan. However, Raphinha, another key winger, will miss today’s clash due to a hamstring injury sustained during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti.
Historical context and recent encounters
Historically, Brazil has a strong record against Japan, with 11 wins and only one defeat in 14 meetings. Their sole previous World Cup encounter saw Brazil win 4-1 in Germany 20 years ago. However, Japan secured a notable 3-2 victory in their most recent friendly encounter in October 2025. In that match, Japan came from two goals down, with goals from Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda, to achieve their first-ever win against the Selecao.
This recent friendly result serves as a warning for Brazil, as highlighted by Tiago Maranhao from Ponta Grossa, Brazil, who noted that a 3-2 loss after leading 2-0 was a rare occurrence for his national team. Krish Krishnamoorthy also suggested that Japan’s challenge today might be more against Brazil’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, than the team itself.
The NRG Stadium has previously hosted five group games in this tournament. Three of these were high-scoring affairs: Germany defeated Curacao 7-1, the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1, and Portugal overcame Uzbekistan 5-0. The other two matches were more closely contested: Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo, and Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia.
Read Also
- FC Barcelona open talks for Harry Kane transfer
- Ben Stokes retires from international cricket, prompting leadership questions
- Scholes suggests England should consider Anderson over Rice for DR Congo match
- Chelsea issues statement regarding former head coach's departure and Manchester City settlement
Source: theguardian.com
You may also like
As News-GB's Sports Reporter, Megan Sinclair reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name interviewing rising British talent. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Edinburgh and completed an NCTJ diploma. Megan lives in Edinburgh, where she plays club tennis and follows track athletics. “Give the athletes room and the story tells itself.”