Brazil rallies past Japan, Paraguay shocks Germany in World Cup upset

Gabriel Martinelli’s 90+5th-minute finish completed Brazil’s 2-1 comeback over Japan at Houston Stadium and turned a tight Round of 32 match into a statement about the title race. Kaishu Sano put Japan ahead in the 29th minute, Casemiro equalized in the 56th, and Martinelli settled it deep into stoppage time on June 29, 2026.

Brazil’s route into the knockout rounds made that recovery more meaningful. The Seleção arrived after a 1-1 draw with Morocco and back-to-back 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland, with Vinicius Jr. supplying four goals in the group stage. That mix of control, depth and late-game force makes Brazil look less like a favorite that needs perfect rhythm and more like a side built to survive the pressure that defines the latter rounds.

Paraguay produced the day’s bigger jolt in Boston, where the Albirroja eliminated Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Julio Enciso gave Paraguay the lead in the 42nd minute, Kai Havertz leveled for Germany in the 54th, and Paraguay held its nerve in the shootout before a crowd of 63,945 at Boston Stadium. For Germany, the exit lands as one of the most striking knockout eliminations of the tournament.

The two results changed the shape of the bracket as much as the scores themselves. Brazil moved on with the look of a team that can absorb an early setback and still impose itself, while Paraguay’s victory suggested that a disciplined underdog can still break through against a heavyweight even after 90 minutes and penalties. In a World Cup with 48 teams and 104 matches, the margins for hierarchy have narrowed, and the first week of the knockout stage has already shown that established powers can no longer assume a clean path.