The Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially begun with co-hosts Canada securing a berth in the last 16 stage with a narrow 1-0 win over South Africa in what was the first knockout match of the on-going, first-ever 48-team tournament.
That match might have felt a bit boring due to the lack of goals but there will be no shortage of entertainment tonight as 5-time champions Brazil set their sights at beating the number 1 Asian team currently, Japan in the 2nd Round of 32 match tonight at the Houston Stadium from 10:30PM (IST) onwards.
Brazil earned their place in the knockout rounds by finishing at the top of Group C with seven points. The five-time world champions started their tournament with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Morocco.
However, they quickly hit their stride in the remaining group matches, producing dominant performances to secure successive 3-0 wins over both Haiti and Scotland. Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has been the standout player for the Selecao, leading the tournament’s scoring charts with 4 goals in the group stage. The Brazilian defense has also looked solid, keeping consecutive clean sheets ahead of the knockouts.
Japan qualified for the Round of 32 after finishing as runners-up in Group F, remaining undefeated with five points. The Samurai Blue showed immense resilience in their opening match, twice fighting back from behind to secure a 2-2 draw against a strong Netherlands team.
They followed that up with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Tunisia before sealing their qualification with a disciplined 1-1 draw against Sweden. Forward Ayase Ueda and midfielder Daichi Kamada have provided the main attacking spark, scoring two goals each.
The winner of this match will progress to the Round of 16 to face either Ivory Coast or Norway.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
Brazil Vs Japan, FIFA World Cup 2026: Squads
Brazil: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bremer, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Ibanez, Leo Pereira, Douglas Santos, Wesley, Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Fabinho, Danilo Santos, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Rodrygo, Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha, Neymar Jr, Igor Thiago, Luiz Henrique, Rayan
Japan: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, Tomoki Hayakawa, Ko Itakura, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Yukinari Sugawara, Yuto Nagatomo, Shogo Taniguchi, Ayumu Seko, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Junnosuke Suzuki, Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, Daichi Kamada, Keito Nakamura, Ao Tanaka, Junya Ito, Kaishu Sano, Wataru Endo, Ayase Ueda, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Yuito Suzuki, Shuto Machino, Keisuke Goto, Kento Shiogai
