Japan Vows to Beat Brazil and Chase World Cup Glory: Confidence or Arrogance?

The knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has begun. The pressure and thrill of "win or go home" will undoubtedly bring even greater tests for every team.

In the early hours of June 30, Beijing time, the knockout stage is set to welcome an Asian team's appearance. Japan will face off against Brazil, one of the tournament favorites.

Confronting the "five-time world champions," Japan has not been modest. Instead, they have directly declared their ambition to "defeat the opponent and strive to win the World Cup." Can Japan make their dream come true against the Samba Army?

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu is interviewed.

Already Beaten Brazil Before

Looking back at Japan's group stage journey in this World Cup, perhaps they have reason to be confident.

In the opening group match, Japan faced the formidable Netherlands. Against the Oranje, Japan fell behind twice but equalized twice, ultimately securing a 2-2 draw.

In the second round against Tunisia, Japan achieved a resounding 4-0 victory — their biggest winning margin in World Cup history. After a 1-1 draw with Sweden in the final group match, Japan advanced as group runners-up, reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the fifth time in their history.

Looking at past records, Brazil holds an overwhelming advantage over Japan — in 14 previous meetings, Brazil has 11 wins, 2 draws, and only 1 loss.

Japan team training before the match.

Japan's sole victory came in last October's Kirin Challenge Cup, when Japan came from two goals down to beat Brazil 3-2 — their first-ever win over Brazil.

Perhaps that match gave Japan hope of toppling the Samba Army on the World Cup stage.

"We won that friendly against Brazil on home soil last year. I think we rewrote history. It has proven that we have every chance to beat them," Japan coach Moriyasu mentioned in the pre-match press conference.

However, he also admitted, "Facing Brazil again will be even harder. Brazil surely remembers the disappointment of that friendly loss. They will come with an extremely strong desire to win and go all out to beat us tomorrow. This match will be very difficult."

Confidence? Or Arrogance?

Although Japan broke their winless streak against Brazil in last year's friendly, Brazil's fighting spirit and caution will undoubtedly be elevated to another level on the World Cup stage.

In World Cup competition, the two teams have only met once before — in the 2006 group stage, when Brazil won 4-1.

But looking ahead to this match, Japan remains brimming with confidence. "The team has performed excellently so far. Brazil has won the title five times, but we are eager to challenge them," Moriyasu stated.

Veteran Yuto Nagatomo boldly declared, "No matter who the opponent is, there's only one path for us — to win. Our goal is to become champions." Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima also said in an interview, "The whole team is determined to challenge for the title. We will pursue this dream with all our might."

Marquinhos is interviewed.

It's clear that despite Brazil's glorious history and formidable strength, Japan has not positioned themselves as underdogs. Japan forward Shio Kenjin even stated directly in an interview that Brazil and Neymar are not as strong as they used to be.

In response to the comments from Japan's coaching staff and players, Brazil hopes to reply with victory on the pitch.

"We have been preparing very humbly. We let the opponents do the talking, let them talk more — it only motivates us. Let their words become the driving force for us to win the game," Brazil captain Marquinhos said before the match. "Maybe they are being a bit arrogant."

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed, "The team is prepared for every possible situation. I won't talk about what others say. We will focus on the match and focus on our opponents."

Ancelotti said Brazil is preparing for this match like a final.

Neymar Remains the "X-Factor"

Compared to Brazil, who have lifted the World Cup trophy five times, Japan's history on the World Cup stage is much dimmer. They have reached the knockout stage four times before, but have lost all four matches, exiting in the round of 16.

Securing their first-ever World Cup knockout victory and striving for a historic quarterfinal berth is Japan's immediate goal. But Brazil, as one of the tournament favorites, will certainly not hand over victory.

Speaking to the media before the match, Ancelotti also mentioned Brazil's friendly loss to Japan last year. "It was a good experience for us. It showed us that Japan is a competitive team. They also beat England in March."

So facing this Asian powerhouse, the Samba Army shows no sign of complacency. "We fully respect them. We are preparing for this match like a final."

Whether Neymar can play is also a focus of fans' attention.

Notably, both teams have injury concerns. For Japan, Takefusa Kubo was injured in the match against the Netherlands. Moriyasu revealed that he has not participated in team training and will miss the first knockout round. On the other hand, Ko Itakura, who experienced discomfort in the Sweden match, has returned to training.

On the Brazilian side, Neymar, who has been troubled by physical condition recently, came off the bench for about 15 minutes in the third group match, making his World Cup debut. But his current physical condition is still far from his best.

Entering the knockout stage, this legendary player remains the "X-factor." "He improved a lot last week. Unfortunately, he can't train fully with us. He can play 15 minutes. It depends on tomorrow's match situation," Ancelotti said.

Additionally, forward Raphinha was injured in the second group match. According to foreign media reports, he will miss the match against Japan, which is not good news for Brazil.