Brazil survived a major scare to secure a place in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating Japan 2-1 in a dramatic round of 16 clash at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Monday 29 June. Despite the win, one notable absentee from the action was Neymar Jr. The Brazilian superstar remained on the bench throughout the competition, prompting questions as to why head coach Carlo Ancelotti chose not to introduce him.Explaining his decision after the game, Ancelotti revealed that he only planned to use Neymar if the game went to extra time.“I spoke with Ney (Neymar). If we hadn’t equalized, he would have entered in the 60th minute. Since we drew, I kept him for 30 minutes of extra time,” Ancelotti told the broadcaster.With Brazil finding the winner in stoppage time, extra time was never needed, meaning Neymar remained an unused substitute despite being fit enough to feature. Ancelotti later confirmed that the veteran striker was part of his contingency plan but was ultimately not needed.Brazil will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the clash between Norway and Ivory Coast at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 3.Coming into the game, Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil staged a thrilling second-half comeback to beat Japan 2-1, Japan surprised the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose ball deep inside their own half. Sano began a brilliant solo sprint from 40 yards before firing a fierce shot past Alisson to make it 1-0.Ancelotti also praised Japan for pushing Brazil throughout the competition and said his team will need to improve despite progressing to the knockout stages.“Japan made us suffer for ninety-five minutes. They deserve our respect, not excessive celebrations. Brazil went through but we know we have to improve. Tonight we celebrate qualifying but tomorrow we get back to work because the World Cup only gets harder from here,” he said.
