Japan will be Brazil’s first opponent in the knockout stages of the World Cup, a position secured by the Asian team this Thursday (25), at the AT&T Stadium, in Dallas, after drawing 1-1 with Sweden, in a duel valid for the third round of group F.
Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made two important saves in the final minutes of the match that secured the score. With the draw, the Japanese team reached 5 points and was in second place in their group, behind the Netherlands, who beat Tunisia in the other game of the round by 3-1 and added 7 points in the first phase.
Sweden, with 4 points — achieved by the victory over Tunisia and draw with Japan —, is one of the teams classified as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
The clash between Brazil and Japan is scheduled to take place next Monday (29), at NRG Stadium, in Houston, at 1 pm (Brasília time). The Netherlands will face Morocco, second in group C in Brazil, at the Monterrey Stadium, in Mexico, also on Monday, at 10pm.
Brazil and Japan have faced each other only once in the history of the World Cup, in 2006, in Germany, in the group stage, in a match won by the Brazilian team 4-1. The goals of the team led by Carlos Alberto Parreira were scored by Ronaldo (twice), Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto.
The Brazilian team has a largely favorable record against the Japanese. In 14 games, Brazil won 11, drew 2 and lost just one. The only defeat, however, was in the last meeting, in a friendly in October 2025, in Tokyo, won by the Asian team 3-2.
In this Thursday’s game in Dallas, the “Blue Samurai”, as the Japanese national team players are known, had the AT&T stands mostly filled with Japanese fans, even though the minority in yellow made much more noise, chanting in support of their team practically uninterruptedly throughout the entire match.
In total, 70,137 fans attended the match. Among the celebrities in the stands was former German basketball player Dirk Nowitzki, idol of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
Standing out throughout the tournament for the physical vigor of its athletes, the team led by coach Hajime Moriyasu concentrated most of its plays in the first half on the left wing, with strikers Daizen Meda, from Celtic, and Keito Nakamura, from Reims.
Sweden, in turn, was betting on its million-dollar duo formed by Viktor Gyökeres —who left Sporting for Arsenal last season for €67 million (R$396 million)— and Alexander Isak, who was bought by Liverpool after standing out at Newcastle for €145 million (R$857 million).
While Isak left the area more to try to participate in setting up the plays from midfield, Gyökeres was more stuck in the middle of the Japanese defenders, but neither of them managed to pose a real threat to the goal defended by Zion Suzuki in the first half.
In the most dangerous move of the first half of the game, Nakamura received a good pass from Daizen Maeda inside the area and placed the ball, to a great save from goalkeeper Zetterstrom.
If the first half ended goalless and with few clear chances on either side, for the second half, the Japanese and Swedes came back ready to change history.
After 10 minutes, Japanese midfielder Ritsu Doan made a surgical pass that found Daizen Maeda inside the area, with the number 11 just hitting the goalkeeper’s exit to open the score.
Needing to reverse the score to try to secure second place in the group, Sweden went into the game and tied at 16, with Anthony Elanga, who received the ball at the edge of the penalty area on the right and hit a precise shot from the left, into the right corner of Suzuki, who took a while to see the ball and reacted late.
Just three minutes later, Sweden almost turned it around, with Isak taking advantage of a mistake by the Japanese defense to shoot across, stopping in a good save from the Japanese archer.
In extra time, at 47 and 48, Sweden had the last two chances to score their second goal, with Elanga and Isak, stopping after great interventions by Suzuki.
