Brazil vs Japan Prediction in 2026 World Cup Round of 32

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Brazil vs Japan match will take place in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at the Houston Stadium, Houston, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 00:00 WIB (Western Indonesian Time). The match will be broadcasted live by TVRI and is predicted to be one of the most exciting games in the knockout stage.

Brazil comes into the Round of 32 with high confidence after closing out the group stage as the champions of Group C. Despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in the opening match, Carlo Ancelotti's team then rose with two convincing victories, 3-0 each against Haiti and Scotland.

The Selecao's resurgence is attributed to the contributions of Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha, who have been leading the attack. These two wins ensured Brazil's advancement as the group champions, leading in goal difference over Morocco, who secured the second position.

Brazil's World Cup record also serves as valuable leverage. The five-time world champion team has always made it to the knockout stage since 1986. Now, they have the opportunity to progress and potentially face Argentina in the semifinals if they continue to advance.

However, Brazil's current focus is on Japan. Their performance has been on the rise, winning five out of the last six matches. Additionally, their defense has been more solid, recording two consecutive clean sheets after previously conceding goals in six consecutive matches.

Nevertheless, Japan is not an easy opponent. In their recent friendly match in October 2025, the team nicknamed Blue Samurai successfully defeated Brazil 3-2. During that time, Brazil was without two of their key defenders, Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos, but the result still marked Japan's historic first victory over Brazil in 14 encounters.

This result adds to the impressive performances of Japan throughout 2026. The team led by Hajime Moriyasu also managed to defeat England and hold the Netherlands to a draw, solidifying their position as one of the dark horses in this World Cup.

Japan advanced to the knockout stage as the runner-up of Group F after drawing 1-1 against Sweden in the final match. The outstanding performance of goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, making crucial saves, was one of the factors that secured their spot in the Round of 32.

Defensively, Japan has shown resilience. Their biggest challenge comes from the shadow of the past. Throughout their appearances in the World Cup, Japan has never won in the knockout stage. They have always been eliminated in the Round of 16 in the 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022 editions, while in other editions, they failed to advance from the group stage.

Current Condition of Both Teams

Brazil may not be able to count on Barcelona winger Raphinha, who suffered a hamstring injury while facing Haiti. If Raphinha is not yet recovered, as quoted from Sportsmole, Ancelotti is expected to maintain the same lineup as when they defeated Scotland. Young Bournemouth player Rayan is likely to return to the starting lineup alongside Vinicius Junior in the forward line.

Vinicius is in his prime form. He became the fifth Brazilian player to score in every match of the World Cup group stage. In the past four instances, Brazil has always gone on to win the World Cup, through Jairzinho in 1970, Romario in 1994, and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.

In the Japanese camp, central defender Ko Itakura was substituted early in the match against Sweden due to an injury. However, his condition is not too serious. On the other hand, Takefusa Kubo's chances of playing are slim. The Real Sociedad forward has not fully trained due to a knee injury.

Daizen Maeda is expected to remain a primary choice after scoring against Sweden, while Kaishu Sano is likely to return to the midfield, replacing Yukinari Sugawara.

The Japanese national football team celebrates after scoring against the Tunisian national team in the Group F match of the 2026 World Cup at Monterrey Stadium, Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 21, 2026. The Japanese national team eliminated Tunisia from the 2026 World Cup after a big 4-0 victory in their second Group F match at Monterrey Stadium, Guadalupe, Mexico. ANTARA/Aditya Pradana Putra

Head-to-Head

• As quoted from Sportskeeda, Brazil still dominates the head-to-head record with 11 wins out of 14 matches against Japan. Japan has only defeated Brazil once, while two matches ended in a draw.
• The last meeting took place in a friendly match in October 2025 at Ajinomoto Stadium. Brazil initially took the lead through Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli, but Japan turned the tables with goals from Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda, winning 3-2.
• The two countries also met in the 2006 World Cup, where Brazil convincingly won 4-1 in the group stage match.

Predicted Lineups

Brazil: Alisson Becker; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Alex Sandro; Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro; Rayan, Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius Junior; Matheus Cunha.

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Japan: Zion Suzuki; Hiroki Ito, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ko Itakura; Ritsu Doan, Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka, Keito Nakamura; Daichi Kamada, Daizen Maeda; Ayase Ueda.

Coach: Hajime Moriyasu

Prediction

Japan is now seen as one of the emerging forces in world football. With disciplined gameplay organization and a solid defense, the Blue Samurai team may provide a stronger challenge against Brazil.

Japan's victory in the friendly match last October occurred when Brazil did not field their strongest defensive lineup. Now, with a more complete squad composition, Brazil has a better quality to defeat Japan and advance to the Round of 16, even if the match goes into extra time.

Read: Schedule of the 2026 World Cup Round of 32

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