Once source of soccer inspiration, Brazil stands in way of an ascendant Japan

HOUSTON — When Japan attempts to topple historical World Cup powerhouse Brazil in a round of 32 game on Monday, June 29 at NRG Stadium, the Japanese side won’t have to look far into the past for inspiration.

In a friendly game in Tokyo in October, Japan notched a first-ever victory over Brazil, erasing a two-goal halftime deficit to win 3-2.

“At that point we saw history move,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “We realized that we do have a chance of winning and I think that was shown at the friendly. Tomorrow is going to be very tough for us, but so that we can seize that win, we will be at the match at full force.”

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the friendly, “I think it was a good experience for us to know that Japan is a really competitive team. We have completely and totally full respect for them and we prepare for the game like a final, because it is a final.”

Monday’s World Cup rematch is a chance for Japan to flip the script on its mentor.

The two countries share longstanding cultural and soccer relationships. Brazil is home to the world’s largest Japanese population outside of Japan, and several prominent Brazilians helped shape the development of soccer in Japan.

Zico, the star of Brazil’s 1982 World Cup team, was among the first wave of Brazilian players to play professionally in Japan. He later managed the Japanese national team, following the footsteps of fellow Brazilian Falcão.

Japan has never been past the round of 16 in a World Cup, while Brazil has won a record five World Cup titles (the last in 2002) and reached the quarterfinals in the last two editions. They’ve faced off once before in the World Cup, a 4-1 Brazil win in the 2006 group stage.

But Brazil entered a period of instability following its elimination from the 2022 World Cup by Croatia in a penalty shootout, cycling through four different head coaches before Ancelotti was hired in May 2025 to right the ship.

Brazil opened the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, then rebounded with wins over Haiti and Scotland to close out the group stage.

 Meanwhile, Japan appears to be peaking at the right time with a roster featuring several players who play for top European clubs, including Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda and Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada. Japan demolished Tunisia 4-0 and despite relinquishing early leads against the Netherlands and Sweden, earned draws in both those games.

“It’s not up to us to disrespect the Japanese team by any measure because they did deliver a great performance in the group stage and they showed in the last few matches that they can play with the big dogs,” Brazil defender Marquinhos said. “I think they came to this World Cup with more confidence than us, really. In the last few years we had some turmoil in the Brazilian national team.”

Moriyasu, who played under Falcao on the Japanese national team, said he is grateful for the contributions that Brazilians have made to Japanese soccer. But he also said he is proud of the unique soccer identity Japan has cultivated and believes the Asian side can win the World Cup.

“Some people would say Japan is a dark horse. We will respect our opponent but we will be playing with that mindset,” Moriyasu said. “The world is looking at us so we hope that many people will be able to see us play well so that we can be even more confident for the future.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Once source of soccer inspiration, Brazil stands in way of an ascendant Japan