Brazil Advances in FIFA World Cup 2026 After Dramatic Comeback Against Japan

Houston. As it was half-time in Houston, the Brazilian players came off the field thinking about what the atmosphere in their country might be like.

They were just 45 minutes away from being eliminated from the World Cup and facing national humiliation. It would have been their quickest exit since 1966.

In the Round of 32 match, Japan had held Brazil at bay. They even took the lead and looked to be in a comfortable position.

For a team that hadn't come back from a deficit in a World Cup knockout match since 2002, the situation was not good. For those watching the game, an unexpected result was becoming a realistic possibility.

But we shouldn't have doubted Carlo Ancelotti.

This Brazilian coach is a person with a knack for consistent victories. As a manager, he has won a record five Champions League titles and trophies in all five major European leagues. He has no undefeated titles at club level.

However, this is his first international responsibility, and this Italian is Brazil's first foreign coach in the World Cup. So, after the first 45 minutes, he must have been a little worried too.

'No, not at all. I had faith in our team,' he said.

He remained calm until the end. Ancelotti devised the strategy for Brazil's first comeback win in a World Cup knockout stage in nearly 24 years, after defeating Turkey in the semi-finals.

The crisis was averted, and now a clash with either Ivory Coast or Norway awaits in the Round of 16.

But there is no doubt that the 67-year-old coach had to maintain his patience to get the team this far.

• 'Traditional Arrogance'

Ancelotti has made an excellent start as an international manager. He has won 9 out of 15 games since taking charge of Brazil.

He might not have felt it, but as he returned to the dressing room to talk to the players at half-time, he was certainly under immense pressure.

South American football expert Tim Vickery said, 'This was a frightening situation for Brazil.'

'I want to explain how much humiliation the Brazilian team was facing at half-time. For obvious reasons, Brazilians are traditionally a bit arrogant. Losing to an Asian team in the Round of 32, rather than the quarter-finals, would be unbearable for them.'

'As group winners, Japan was the most dangerous opponent Brazil could have faced. While it may sound unfair, the players were on the verge of historical humiliation.'

Many Brazilian players struggled in the first half. However, Ancelotti made only one change at half-time, with Endrick coming on for the injured Lucas Paquetá. This was a forced substitution.

Vickery added, 'Sometimes doing nothing is Ancelotti's greatest strength. He is a beacon of calm amidst the surrounding chaos, and this has proven successful once again.'

Ancelotti admitted that Brazil 'faced some problems' against a well-organized Japanese team. But he had full confidence that his players would overcome this difficult situation.

'Our team was fighting on the field. We weren't lost like in the first half against Morocco,' he said.

The players were almost the same, but Brazil's appearance in the second half was different.

They had purpose and intensity in their play, which was not evident in the first half. There were also some tactical changes, especially a readiness to get the ball into the opponent's penalty box.

In the first half, Brazil made 12 crosses. They tried to break down Japan's strong defense through short, intricate passes, as expected from a South American team.

In the second half, however, they abandoned that style and made 28 crosses into the box. Including the 6 minutes of injury time, this was a cross every less than two minutes.

Japan found it difficult to cope as players started reaching the back post, evading defenders' eyes. It was no surprise that Casemiro's equalizer came from this simple yet effective strategy.

Former England full-back Stephen Warnock said, 'The change Carlo Ancelotti made at half-time made the difference. Japan couldn't deal with the balls coming into the box.'

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton added, 'This is about finding a way. Brazil's experience and quality were enough to send the excellent Japanese team out of the World Cup.'

Brazil's image as a team that plays attacking and free-flowing football is very attractive. Ancelotti is certainly not a coach who wants to mask this. But he is aware that sometimes a different approach is needed to win.

He added, 'For us, victory is the only acceptable result. Is one brand of football enough? We can never be satisfied with what we are doing.'

'Was this a step forward? It was not our complete game yet. We had a lot of problems in the first half because Japan posed a tough challenge. We overcame it in the second half.'

'I believe this is definitely progress. Initially, we struggled to find space, but we managed to solve this problem well.'

• 'Salvation of the Nation'

Ultimately, although Ancelotti's change made a big difference, Japan's mistakes and the composure of Bruno Guimarães and Gabriel Martinelli secured Brazil's victory.

The decisive goal in the 95th minute kept their dream of winning a sixth World Cup alive.

Ancelotti said, 'We said before the World Cup that such moments come in football.'

'There's no such thing as not making mistakes because no one is perfect. But you have to overcome it and move forward. The team did that.'

Brazil had to work hard. They must become stronger by overcoming such situations. Winning dramatically like this will surely give them more momentum.

Perhaps, the biggest emotion at the final whistle was relief.

Former Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva described it as 'salvation of the nation,' while Vickery said they had 'climbed Mount Everest through a difficult path.'

However, Ancelotti was never worried. He knows how to win, and this was just one of many obstacles his team had to overcome.

Sutton added, 'Under Ancelotti, they are moving forward in good form.'

'Clever Carlo has worked his magic again. He is known for such work.'

BBC