Preview: Brazil vs Japan – Latest News, Line-ups, Absences | 2026 World Cup (29/06/2026)

Last update at 27 June, 2026⏲️ Reading time: 5 minutes

Round of 32 clash between Brazil and Japan.

Brazil and Japan face off in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

Brazil, one of the favourites to go deep into the World Cup, take on Japan, perennial dark horses on the international stage, in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Fans who do not want to miss any of the action can check out our guide on where to watch Brazil vs Japan live and follow every moment of the match from anywhere.

The match will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, United States. Both teams reached the knockout stage unbeaten, but only one will keep their World Cup dream alive. The winner will secure a place in the Round of 16 on 5 July.

Latest team news and form

Brazil have met expectations so far and head into the Round of 32 with concerns over Raphinha's fitness. Japan, meanwhile, enjoyed an impressive group-stage campaign and arrive full of confidence.

Brazil

The Seleção have improved with every game at the 2026 World Cup. They opened with a disappointing draw against Morocco after being second best for much of the match. However, Carlo Ancelotti's side responded with convincing victories over Haiti and Scotland, allowing the Italian coach to rotate his squad. The only setback came when Raphinha picked up an injury during the second group match.

Japan

Japan also progressed through the group stage unbeaten. They recorded a comfortable victory over Tunisia in their second match and drew against the Netherlands and Sweden in their opening and final fixtures respectively. Had they lost to Sweden, they would have finished third and potentially faced a more favourable Round of 32 tie. Instead, Hajime Moriyasu's men now have the opportunity to pull off one of the tournament's biggest upsets against the five-time world champions.

Brazil vs Japan: Head-to-head record

Brazil have won four of the last five meetings between the two nations, with Japan claiming one victory. Only one of those matches was competitive, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup encounter. The remaining four were friendlies, including Japan's most recent 3-2 victory in October, less than a year ago.

(15/06/2013) Brazil 3-0 Japan
(14/10/2014) Japan 0-4 Brazil
(10/11/2017) Japan 1-3 Brazil
(06/06/2022) Japan 0-1 Brazil
(14/10/2025) Japan 3-2 Brazil

Predicted line-ups

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to keep the same starting XI that comfortably defeated Scotland, with the only change from the Haiti match being the enforced absence of the injured Raphinha. Japan will be without Endo and Kubo through injury, two significant losses, and Hajime Moriyasu is not expected to make changes to the side that faced Sweden.

Position	–Brazil	–Japan
Goalkeeper	Alisson	Suzuki
Defenders	Danilo Marquinhos Gabriel Douglas Santos	Seko Itakura Ito Sugawara Nakamura
Midfielders	Casemiro Bruno Guimaraes Lucas Paquetá	Kamada Tanaka Doan Maeda
Forwards	Rayan Cunha Vinicius Jr	Ueda

Tactical analysis: Expect an entertaining game

This promises to be one of the most entertaining fixtures of the Round of 32. Japan play an aggressive, attack-minded style and rarely sit back, as demonstrated by the seven goals they scored during the group stage. Their approach could suit Brazil, who often struggle more against deep-defending teams that deny space for players like Vinícius Júnior to exploit.

Ancelotti's side will look to build on their performances against Haiti and Scotland. While neither opponent posed the toughest challenge, Brazil produced two disciplined displays. One of the key battles will be controlling Japan's transitions. If Brazil manage that successfully, they should be able to expose an Asian side that has occasionally looked vulnerable when defending inside its own penalty area.

Key players to watch

The standout players heading into this clash are Maeda for Japan and Vinícius Júnior for Brazil.

Maeda (Japan)

The Celtic forward scored the goal that secured Japan's draw against Sweden and ultimately second place in the group. Following Takefusa Kubo's injury, Maeda must now assume a leadership role within the squad. If he fails to step up, Japan could struggle to replace the creativity lost through Kubo's absence. His performance will be crucial if Japan are to extend their World Cup journey.

Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)

Vinícius Júnior has enjoyed an outstanding tournament so far. The Real Madrid forward has scored four goals and found the net in all three group-stage matches, establishing himself as Brazil's standout performer. Carlo Ancelotti knows that if his star player maintains this level, Brazil will have every reason to believe they can challenge for a sixth World Cup title.

Betting analysis and odds

Brazil are clear favourites heading into this encounter. The five-time world champions boast greater squad depth and quality than Japan, meaning an upset would rank among the biggest surprises of the tournament.

The latest 2026 World Cup odds reflect that advantage, with Brazil to qualify priced between 1.30 and 1.35, while Japan to progress is available between 3.10 and 3.40. A Brazil victory in 90 minutes is priced between 1.66 and 1.74. The markets also expect goals, with odds for Over 1.5 Goals ranging from 1.29 to 1.33.

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Final prediction

Brazil have the edge thanks to their superior quality and attacking firepower, but Japan have shown throughout the tournament that they can compete with anyone. If the Seleção impose their rhythm, they should have an excellent chance of progressing to the Round of 16.

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