Martinelli's stoppage-time goal sends Brazil past Japan at World Cup 2026

Gabriel Martinelli’s finish at the far post in the fifth minute of added time gave Brazil a 2-1 victory over Japan and changed the tone of Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup campaign in an instant. What had looked like a night heading toward a major stumble instead became the moment Brazil found its spark, with Martinelli stepping out of the supporting role and into the center of the country’s run in Houston.

Japan had struck first through Kaishu Sano, putting Brazil under pressure at NRG Stadium on Monday, June 29, 2026. Casemiro pulled Brazil level before the decisive late push, and Martinelli delivered the winner in the 95th minute to complete the comeback and send the Seleção Brasileira into the round of 16.

The result carried immediate weight because Brazil did not just avoid an upset, it survived a scare that threatened to derail a team chasing a sixth world title. The five-time champions were forced to dig out of a deficit against a stubborn Japan side, and the late goal turned a tight knockout-stage test into a statement of resilience. Martinelli’s strike was the sort of moment that can reset expectations in a tournament: not simply a winning goal, but the kind that gives a national team belief that it can absorb pressure and still finish.

Brazil now moves on to face the winner of Ivory Coast against Norway in New York, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line. For Ancelotti’s squad, the path forward remains demanding, but the route there is clearer after a night in which Martinelli’s timing and composure rescued the team from a damaging result and gave Brazil the emotional lift its tournament needed.