MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Vinícius Júnior scored two goals, Matheus Cunha also scored, Neymar returned and five-time World Cup champion Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 on Wednesday, advancing to the knockout stage as the Group C winner.
Vinícius — who has a goal in all three of Brazil’s group matches — scored in the seventh minute and again just before halftime, tying Norway’s Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé with of France with four goals, one behind Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Brazil reached the knockout rounds for the 15th consecutive World Cup. Morocco finished second in the group and also advanced, rallying to beat Haiti 4-2.
After a lackluster 1-1 draw against Morocco in its opener, Brazil — facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002 — followed with a 3-0 win over Haiti, and coach Carlo Ancelotti said he saw gradual improvement from his team during the group stage.
“We are working to play the best that we can,” he said. “But the goal is not to play well. We know that playing well is easier to win, but the goal is to win. ... If we win the World Cup, we played well. If we don’t win the World Cup, we played really bad.”
Neymar entered as a substitute in the 76th, making his debut after a right calf injury sidelined him for Brazil’s first two matches. The majority-Brazilian crowd at Hard Rock Stadium began chanting his name midway through the second half as he got off the bench and began doing warmup sprints on the sideline — and fans roared as he trotted onto the pitch.
🥺❤️🩹 Neymar Jr broke down in tears at full time.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 25, 2026
981 days after his last time, back with the Seleção. His dream is reality. 💛💚 pic.twitter.com/lyV0TOfQ0A
Neymar is Brazil’s career scoring leader with 79 goals in 130 international appearances. The 34-year-old forward appeared in each of the past three World Cups for Brazil, scoring eight goals. This was his first appearance for the national team since October 2023.
“I think he deserved the opportunity to play, which is why I gave him the opportunity to play,” Ancelotti said through an interpreter. “I think he did well even though he played for just a few minutes.”
Scotland is playing in its first World Cup since 1998 and has become one of the more interesting teams of the tournament. Its dedicated fans, known as the Tartan Army, brought a party atmosphere to the Boston and Miami areas ahead of their team’s matches.
Scotland hasn’t advanced past the group stage in nine tries.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
