Neymar Warms Up But Remains on Bench as Brazil Beats Japan in World Cup

Brazil's national team secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Japan on Tuesday, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring the winning goal deep into stoppage time. Despite the win, much of the attention in Brazil focused on Neymar, the former Barcelona star, who did not play in the match. Neymar warmed up during the second half but ultimately stayed on the bench as Martinelli took his place on the field.

Neymar had shown promising form after coming off the bench in Brazil's opening match against Scotland, his first game in over a month and a half. However, Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti explained after the Japan game that Neymar was being saved for a potential extra time scenario. Ancelotti said, "I kept him for the possibility of extra time. Under different circumstances, he would have come on around the 60th or 65th minute, but after the equalizer, I didn’t want to change the formation because the team was controlling the game. Japan is a tough and organized team."

In the match against Japan, Neymar was deployed as a false nine in the previous game but Martinelli started as the striker, replacing Richarlison and also capable of playing on the wing. Ancelotti also made a tactical change at halftime, substituting midfielder Lucas Paquetá for Endrick. The victory keeps Brazil’s World Cup 2026 campaign on track as they advance to the next stage.