No previous meetings between these teams.
-
1
Vinícius Júnior4 - 2Matheus Cunha3
- 3
Ayase Ueda2 - 4Daichi Kamada2
- 5Daizen Maeda1
- 6Keito Nakamura1
- 7Junya Ito1
- 1Vinícius Júnior12
- 2Ayase Ueda7
- 3Matheus Cunha7
- 4Keito Nakamura5
- 5Raphinha3
- 6Lucas Paquetá3
- 7Koki Ogawa3
- 8Ao Tanaka2
- 9Daizen Maeda2
- 10Bruno Guimarães2
- 1Douglas Santos7
- 2Ao Tanaka5
- 3Casemiro4
- 4Bruno Guimarães4
- 5Keito Nakamura3
- 6Lucas Paquetá3
- 7Daichi Kamada3
- 8Daizen Maeda2
- 9Kaishu Sano2
- 10Tsuyoshi Watanabe2
- 1Bruno Guimarães3
- 2Takefusa Kubo1
- 3Kaishu Sano1
- 4Ko Itakura1
- 5Ritsu Doan1
- 6Ayase Ueda1
- 7Keito Nakamura1
- 8Lucas Paquetá1
- 9Vinícius Júnior1
- 10Rayan1
- 1Lucas Paquetá7
- 2Bruno Guimarães5
- 3Vinícius Júnior5
- 4Rayan5
- 5Keito Nakamura4
- 6Daichi Kamada4
- 7Raphinha3
- 8Neymar3
- 9Ayase Ueda3
- 10Junya Ito3
- 1Gabriel Magalhães252
- 2Marquinhos240
- 3Danilo142
- 4Ao Tanaka140
- 5Hiroki Ito139
- 6Daichi Kamada137
- 7Douglas Santos125
- 8Lucas Paquetá124
- 9Ko Itakura112
- 10Casemiro98
- 1Vinícius Júnior7
- 2Keito Nakamura5
- 3Ao Tanaka3
- 4Lucas Paquetá3
- 5Bruno Guimarães2
- 6Ayase Ueda2
- 7Matheus Cunha2
- 8Daichi Kamada2
- 9Rayan2
- 10Raphinha1
- 1Lucas Paquetá5
- 2Casemiro4
- 3Danilo4
- 4Kaishu Sano3
- 5Douglas Santos3
- 6Fabinho2
- 7Matheus Cunha2
- 8Rayan2
- 9Endrick1
- 10Ayumu Seko1
Brazil and Japan lock horns in Houston on Monday 29th June (6pm UK time) in the last-32 of the 2026 World Cup.
Both countries head into the knockout stages unbeaten at the tournament, with Brazil claiming seven points en-route to topping Group C, while Japan collected five points in a runners-up finish to the Netherlands in Group F.
The winner of this match will go on to play either the Ivory Coast or Norway in the last-16.
Read on for our best Brazil vs Japan predictions and betting tips ahead of what promises to be a cracking clash between two form teams.
Brazil vs Japan predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinicius Jr over 2.5 shots on target | 7/2 @ Sky Bet (32.2%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Vinicius Jr has been on fire this tournament, scoring five goals and registering an assist. He’s racked up 12 shots across those three games, eight of which have been on target, and given his form I fully expect Brazil’s star man to go on and have another busy night in-and-around the penalty area |
| Matheus Cunha to score anytime | 9/4 @ Sky Bet (30.8%) | ⭐⭐ | Matheus Cunha has grabbed his opportunity with both hands since he was given the nod to start in Brazil’s second game. He scored a brace in that match against Haiti, then backed it up with a goal against Scotland. Strike while the iron is hot as they say! |
Odds correct at time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams head into Brazil vs Japan
Brazil
Brazil stuttered out of the blocks in a 1-1 draw against Morocco as a Vinicius Jr strike cancelled out a goal from Ismael Saibari as the five-time winners avoided defeat in their first game of a World Cup for the first time since 1934, extending this unbeaten streak to 21 tournaments.
Brazil then ran out 3-0 winners over Haiti thanks to a brace from Matheus Cunha and another goal from Vinicius Jr, all of which came in the first-half.
Carlo Ancelotti’s troops then backed this up with another 3-0 victory over Scotland, with Vinicius Jr adding two more goals to his now five goal tally, while Cunha was again on the scoresheet.
Japan
Japan began their tournament with an exciting 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, during which they twice went behind but equalised through Keito Nakamura, then Daichi Kamada with two minutes remaining.
Samurai Blue then proceeded to thump Tunisia 4-0, courtesy of goals from Daichi Kamada, Ayase Ueda (two), and Junya Ito, without letting their opponents have a single shot on target.
Japan then drew 1-1 with Sweden meaning they missed out on top spot in Group F, but did enough to secure second place with five points, as they reached the knockout stages for the fourth time in the last six editions. Their next task is to go on and win a knockout match for the first time, having exited the last-16 on each occasion.
Brazil team news
Brazil are rolling along nicely following back-to-back 3-0 wins. The decision to bring in Matheus Cunha for Igor Thiago has worked wonders with the Manchester United player scoring three goals in his last two games.
Raphinha missed the Scotland win due to a hamstring injury, so, unless he recovers in time Carlo Ancelotti is likely to stick with the same starting 11 for the Japan clash, which would mean another start for Bournemouth’s Rayan.
Japan team news
Japan have a slight injury concern ahead of the battle with Brazil after centre-back Ko Itakura was forced off before half-time during the draw with Sweden. His withdrawal casts doubt over his availability, but with the game fast-approaching on Monday, the defender will hope to have made a quick recovery.
Barring any late fitness issues, Hajime Moriyasu is expected to keep faith with the side that started against Sweden. Japan have looked well organised throughout the tournament, and the manager is unlikely to make any risks as his side go in search of an historic win.
Head-to-Head
brazil have dominated this head-to-head winning 11 of the 14 matches, and losing just once. The only World Cup meeting came back in 2006 when Brazil ran out 4-1 winners.
Japan can, however, take confidence from a nine game unbeaten run, which includes a 3-2 friendly victory over Brazil back in October, during which they fought back from two goals down thanks to Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda.
Will Brazil continue their surge, or can Japan make history?
Brazil appear to be finding their rhythm at exactly the right time. Back-to-back victories over Haiti and Scotland showcased their attacking firepower, although their toughest test of the group stage ended in a 1-1 draw against Morocco; during which they were perhaps fortunate to get a point.
Standing in their way are an in-form Japan side with history in their sights. The Samurai Blue are still searching for their first-ever World Cup knockout victory, but after going unbeaten in the group stages and previously claiming friendly wins over both Brazil and England, they will feel they have every chance of carving out an upset.
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