Brazil sealed top spot in Group C and left Scotland’s hopes of qualification hanging by a thread with a dominant 3-0 win in Miami.
Like against Morocco, Steve Clarke’s men got off to a nightmare start here with Scott McKenna gifting Vinicius Junior the opener after just seven minutes.
The Real Madrid superstar doubled his side’s lead just before half time. Matheus Cunha then got in on the act with an easy third after the break.
Scotland’s efforts to improve their goal difference were in vain, and they now face a nervy few days to see if their World Cup journey will continue.
How Brazil left Scotland on the brink
Vinicius Jr vying for the Golden Boot
This World Cup has been Star Wars. Quite literally.
For what feels like the first time in a long time, all of the big names and front-runners for the Golden Boot got off to flying starts. Cristiano Ronaldo finally joined the party on Tuesday after a slow start.
Vinicius Jr came into the tournament off the back of a controversial season with Real Madrid. But he has been at his exhilarating best for Brazil so far, becoming the first player to score in all three games at this summer’s tournament.
The 25-year-old scored Brazil’s first against Scotland with a simple finish after Rayan closed down McKenna and headed home a second from Bruno Guimares’ fine cross just before the break. He also had a goal disallowed in between and could have completed his hat-trick in the second half.
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 5 |
| Vinicius Jr | 4 |
| Erling Haaland | 4 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 4 |
| Deniz Undav | 3 |
Vinicius Jr’s four goals at the World Cup put him just behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot this summer. He’s also scored seven goals in 13 games under Carlo Ancelotti – one more than he had in 40 caps prior to the Italian’s appointment.
The iconic manager got the absolute best from Vinicius Jr during his time in Madrid – with the Brazilian scoring in both Champions League final wins. And it looks like the attacker is his main man once again for the Selecao.
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Premier League stars act as perfect supporting cast
Matheus Cunha put the result beyond doubt on the hour mark with another simple finish after an unselfish assist from Bruno Guimares.
The Manchester United forward supplanted Brentford’s Igor Thiago in the lineup following the opening round draw with Morocco. And he’s more than made his mark, scoring three goals in two starts and linking midfield and attack.
It is a marked improvement for the 27-year-old, who had just one goal from his 23 caps prior to the tournament.
As noted, Guimares grabbed two assists and continues to be a key man in midfield alongside ex-Man Utd midfielder Casemiro and former West Ham United man Lucas Paqueta.
Brazil’s latest attacking superstar looks to be Rayan. The Bournemouth man made his first start in place of the injured Raphinha. He offered a threat throughout and his very Cherries-like pressing led to Vinicius Jr’s opener.
At the back, it was a second consecutive clean sheet for Alisson with Gabriel proving a rock in front of him alongside captain Marquinhos.
Ancelotti won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010 and might just win the World Cup with a Premier League cast this summer.
Brazil believe as Neymar returns
Despite Vinicius Jr’s brace, the moment of the night for Brazil fans was the long-awaited return of Neymar.
The country’s all-time leading scorer’s World Cup callup came as a surprise after almost three years out of the fold. But he was forced to sit out of the first two group games with a calf injury.
After 980 days away, Neymar’s moment came in the 76th minute. He entered the field to a rapturous reception for his 129th cap, second only to Cafu for Brazil.
The 34-year-old’s bow at a fourth World Cup capped off the perfect night for Brazil, who have now topped every group since 1982. And Ancelotti looks to be getting his side into the groove at exactly the right time.
A last-32 clash with Japan or Sweden in Houston very likely awaits next. But what role might Neymar have in the knockout stages?
Ancelotti is the ideal manager to decide that and an 80th international goal to help the five-time champions end 24 years of pain is a script waiting to be written.
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Scotland’s hopes of history hanging by a thread
While it’s nothing but glory for Brazil, it’s more misery for Scotland at the World Cup. Steve Clarke’s side now face an agonising wait to see if their knockout dreams will become a reality.
After conceding inside two minutes to Morocco, they gifted an opener to Brazil after seven, leaving them facing an uphill task almost from the outset.
The game was all but over by the break and Andrew Robertson’s injury added to their woes with Billy Gilmour’s absence already keenly felt.
Infamously, the Scots have never made it out of the group stages of either the World Cup or European Championships in 13 attempts. Doing so at a 14th was always likely to be difficult given the presence of two top 10 FIFA ranked nations in their group.
| Scotland’s record at international tournaments | |
|---|---|
| Games | 38 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 10 |
| Losses | 21 |
| Goals for | 33 |
| Goals against | 62 |
Their hopes now hang on other countries doing them huge favours in the coming days with their fate possibly not yet to be decided until 5am on Sunday morning.
An incredibly nervous few days are ahead for the Tartan army.