Vinícius Júnior Stuns With a 9/10 | Brazil Players Rated After Their Late Winner Against Japan In The FIFA World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

Houston was hot, but the heat in the Brazil dressing room at half-time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 game against Japan must have been something else. For 45 minutes, a brilliant, high-pressing Japan team didn’t just rattle the South American giants; they thoroughly outclassed them. Staring into the abyss of an early World Cup exit, Brazil looked sluggish, disjointed, and entirely devoid of ideas. Then came the second-half tactical shift, a bit of old-fashioned grit, and an absolute masterclass from the bench.

Martinelli rescues the Seleção after Houston horror show

Japan set the trap early. They squeezed the space, choked the passing lanes, and dared Brazil to play out from the back. It worked beautifully. In the 29th minute, the pressure paid off. Danilo played a horribly casual ball straight into a central area. Kaishū Sano pounced on the loose possession, drove forward against a retreating, terrified backline, and unleashed a venomous strike right into the corner of the net. 1-0. Alisson had no chance. Brazil looked rattled. On the other side of the pitch, if not for Suzuki standing tall to deny Matheus Cunha just before the break, it could have been 1-1 though.

Changes had to happen. Lucas Paquetá, entirely anonymous, stayed in the dressing room. On came Endrick. The teenage sensation altered the emotional temperature of the match immediately, using his physical presence to stretch a previously comfortable Japanese defence.

Parity returned in the 55th minute. It wasn’t pretty, but it was vital. Casemiro, who had spent the first half picking up a clumsy yellow card, reacted quickest in the box to smash home an equaliser. The Houston stadium erupted.

Japan, exhausted from their first-half exploits, dropped deep into a low block. They defended for their lives, frustrating Vinícius Júnior and company for long stretches. The clock ticked down. Extra time seemed a certainty. The referee was already looking at his watch.

Then came the 96th minute. Bruno Guimarães, who had finally wrestled control of the midfield, spotted a gap and sliced an angled pass into the penalty area. Gabriel Martinelli did the rest. Replacing Cunha after an hour, the Arsenal forward manufactured an inch of space with a sublime first touch. One look up. A curled, stunning finish into the far corner. Cue absolute pandemonium.

Brazil player ratings vs Japan

Alisson Becker: 6

Blameless for Sano’s rocket. Dealt with basic aerial stuff with minimal fuss.

Danilo: 4

An absolute nightmare. Gifted Japan their goal with a dreadful pass and looked off the pace before being booked.

Marquinhos: 6

The only defender who kept his head during the first-half chaos. Clean on the ball.

Gabriel Magalhães: 6

Dealt well with Ueda’s aerial threat but got turned inside out a few times on quick transitions.

Douglas Santos: 5

Offered next to nothing going forward in the first half. Dug in defensively later on.

Clumsy early on, but his equaliser was pure instinct. A true captain’s knock when things got ugly.

Bruno Guimarães: 8

Suffocated early by the Japanese press. Rose above it in the second half to dictate the tempo and delivered a magical assist for the winner.

Lucas Paquetá: 4

A total ghost. Left out there to dry by the system and rightly hooked at the interval.

Rayan: 5

Plenty of running but zero end product. Got doubled up on by Japan and couldn’t find a way through.

Matheus Cunha: 5

Worked hard enough off the ball but lacked any sort of clinical edge inside the box.

Vinícius Júnior: 9

Starved of service early on. Looked far more dangerous in the second half when isolated against his fullback. Almost scored the best goal of the tournament but not to be. Showed his class throughout the second half as Japan had no answers.

Endrick (Sub): 7

Changed the game. His physicality gave the opposition centre-backs nightmares.

Gabriel Martinelli (Sub): 8.5

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JUNE 29: Gabriel Martinelli #22 of Brazil celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Brazil and Japan at Houston Stadium on June 29, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

The undisputed match-winner. A masterclass in impact substituting, capped off by a finish of the highest quality.

This late triumph papered over some massive cracks. The midfield balance is still totally wrong, and against a team with more ruthless finishers, Brazil would have been packing their bags. They survived because their bench contains options most managers can only dream of. Martinelli proved he is far more than an afterthought. Oh, and what a difference Vinícius Júnior was in the second half.