Brazil survived a major scare to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, defeating Japan 2-1 in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, June 29. Despite the victory, one notable absentee from the action was Neymar Jr. The Brazil superstar remained on the bench throughout the contest, prompting questions about why head coach Carlo Ancelotti chose not to introduce him.Explaining his decision after the match, Ancelotti revealed that he had planned to use Neymar only if the game headed towards extra time.“I talked to Ney (Neymar). If we didn’t draw, he’d come on at 60 minutes. Since we drew, I was preserving him for the 30 minutes of extra time,” Ancelotti told the host broadcaster.With Brazil finding the winner in stoppage time, the extra period was never required, meaning Neymar remained an unused substitute despite being fit enough to feature. Ancelotti later confirmed that the veteran forward had been part of his contingency plan but was ultimately not needed.Brazil will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the Norway vs Ivory Coast clash at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 3.Coming to the match, Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil mounted a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Japan 2-1, Japan stunned the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose ball deep inside his own half. Sano embarked on a brilliant 40-yard solo sprint before drilling a fierce strike past Alisson to make it 1-0.Ancelotti also praised Japan for pushing Brazil throughout the contest and said his team would need to improve despite advancing to the knockout stage.“Japan made us suffer for ninety-five minutes. They deserved our respect, not exaggerated celebrations. Brazil are through, but we know we must improve. Tonight we celebrate the qualification, but tomorrow we go back to work because the World Cup only gets more difficult from here,” he said.
