Brazil’s comeback unravels as Japan snatch dramatic win in Singapore

Brazil suffered a late 3-2 defeat by Japan in a chaotic friendly at Singapore’s National Stadium, with Vinicius Junior’s two-goal comeback overturned by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s stoppage-time winner.

The match was the first fixture of Brazil’s Asian tour during the November international break and brought a fifth defeat for Carlo Ancelotti in his 21 matches in charge of the national team.

Japan also avenged their 2-1 loss to Brazil in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup, producing a result which added further pressure to Ancelotti after a night featuring three goals in the final 15 minutes, two dismissals and protests towards the referee after the final whistle.

Japan make fast start

Japan took control inside the opening 20 minutes, with Takefusa Kubo putting them ahead in the 15th minute.

Ritsu Doan’s pass released the forward into the penalty area, where Kubo cut inside before finishing with his left foot beyond Brazil goalkeeper Moriscu.

Japan doubled their advantage four minutes later. Shuto Nakano delivered a low cross into the box and Kaito Nakamura calmly directed his shot into the bottom-right corner, leaving Brazil struggling to recover from their poor start.

Vinicius gave Brazil a route back into the game in the 33rd minute. Bruno Guimaraes found him on the edge of the area and the Real Madrid forward beat the Japan goalkeeper with a powerful strike.

The goal was significant for Vinicius, who had been under pressure after a drop in his scoring numbers for Real Madrid. He had also not scored for Brazil since September, while his most recent goal for his club came in August.

Vinicius restores parity

Vinicius completed his comeback in the 75th minute, again receiving a pass from Bruno Guimaraes before striking the ball against the left post and into the net.

The equaliser made it 2-2 and appeared to have rescued Brazil from a damaging defeat after they had fallen two goals behind. It also ended Vinicius’ international scoring drought and gave him a second goal in the match.

Japan, however, had the final say.

Sakamoto scored in the first minute of added time to put Japan back in front and secure a 3-2 victory, triggering celebrations and denying Brazil the chance to complete their recovery.

The closing stages were further disrupted when Ancelotti was sent off. Barcelona forward Rafinha was also dismissed and will miss Brazil’s next match against Singapore.

The tension continued after the final whistle, with Brazil’s players and coaching staff approaching the referee to protest against some of his decisions. Security personnel intervened to protect the officials and calm the situation.

Brazil will conclude their Asian tour against Singapore at the same stadium on Tuesday. The fixture will give Ancelotti an opportunity to assess more players and address the problems exposed against Japan before the team’s next commitments.