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Brazil, Japan Clash; Neymar Returns for 12th Straight Win

6/29/2026

Summary

Brazil Preps Japan

Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil will not play mind games before its knockout match against Japan in the United States.
Brazil topped Group C, achieving its 12th straight World Cup group-stage win and continuing a 44-year streak of finishing first.
Japan entered the knockout stage on a 10-game unbeaten run since 2025, with Neymar returning to play longer as Brazil treats the match like a final.

Summary

Japan Sets Penalties

Japan forward Takefusa Kubo will miss the Brazil match because of injury and is training separately.
Japan will name its penalty takers in advance, abandoning the volunteer system used in 2022.
The squad includes European-based players such as Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda, 25-goal top scorer, and Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada.
A victory would advance Japan to a July 5 quarter-final against the Ivory Coast-Norway winner at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Summary

FIFA Tickets

FanDuel lists Brazil at -145, Japan at +420, draw at +270 for the round-of-32 match.
The match streams on Fubo and airs on FOX, FOX One, TSN/RDS and SBS, while Mexico uses ViX, Argentina TyC Sports, and the UK broadcast is pending.
Italian referee Maurizio Mariani will officiate at Houston’s NRG Stadium, which seats over 72,000.
FIFA sells official World Cup 2026 tickets, including final-match passes, through its online portal.

History

Historical Context

Brazil’s fifth World Cup triumph in 2002, achieved in the first Asian tournament jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, marked the last edition where the defending champion qualified automatically. Brazil beat Germany 2-0 in Yokohama on 30 June, while Japan topped its group for the first time. FIFA’s shift to a 48-team format for 2026 expands the stage that now frames today’s Brazil-Japan round-of-32 clash.

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Brazil Preps Japan

Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil will not play mind games before its knockout match against Japan in the United States.
Brazil topped Group C, achieving its 12th straight World Cup group-stage win and continuing a 44-year streak of finishing first.
Japan entered the knockout stage on a 10-game unbeaten run since 2025, with Neymar returning to play longer as Brazil treats the match like a final.

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