2026 World Cup: Japan vs Brazil, only one Samurai Blue victory in 14 encounters
After a 1-1 draw with Sweden, Japan secured second place in Group F at the World Cup. The Samurai Blue now face a familiar opponent: Brazil, the leaders of Group C.
World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule
Japan vs Brazil is set for Monday, June 29, 2026, at 17:00 GMT. This is a classic fixture between two teams who have already met 14 times in the past. The Japanese have only managed one win—just last October in a friendly in Tokyo, winning 3-2.

Brazil has defeated the Japanese 11 times, while 2 matches ended in a draw. They've only met once before at the World Cup, 20 years ago in Germany, when the Seleção triumphed 4-1.
It's worth noting Brazil's emphatic victories throughout history: 5-1 in 1995, 1-4 in 2006, 0-4 in both 2012 and 2014.
Here’s the full list of encounters between Japan and Brazil over the years:
July 23, 1989 – Friendly: Brazil 1-0 Japan
June 6, 1995 – Friendly: Brazil 3-0 Japan
August 9, 1995 – Friendly: Japan 1-5 Brazil
August 13, 1997 – Friendly: Japan 0-3 Brazil
March 31, 1999 – Friendly: Japan 0-2 Brazil
June 4, 2001 – Confederations Cup: Japan 0-0 Brazil
June 22, 2005 – Confederations Cup: Japan 2-2 Brazil
June 22, 2006 – World Cup: Japan 1-4 Brazil
October 16, 2012 – Friendly: Japan 0-4 Brazil
June 15, 2013 – Confederations Cup: Brazil 3-0 Japan
October 14, 2014 – Friendly: Brazil 4-0 Japan
November 10, 2017 – Friendly: Japan 1-3 Brazil
June 6, 2022 – Friendly: Japan 0-1 Brazil
October 14, 2025 – Friendly: Japan 3-2 Brazil