Japan’s World Cup run came to an end after a 2-1 defeat by five-time winners Brazil on Monday night, June 29, 2026.
When Kaishu Sano netted in the 29th-minute, it raised the chances of Brazil losing their first-ever challenging defeat against Japan and knocking out of the tournament at the earliest since 1966.
But as Casemiro pointed out, Brazil avoided that defeat by keeping “calm.”
After Casemiro’s second-half goal, it was followed by Gabriel Martinelli netting in the fifth minute of overtime, sealing the win for Brazil.
But more than the big win, netizens have been praising what happened next as Brazilian players came to condole with the Japanese on the pitch after the final whistle.
Broadcast cameras captured the the emotional scenes, involving Neymar Jr. Matheus Cunha and gloveman Alisson Becker hugging heartbroken Japanese players sparked buzz on social media.
As soon as the videos surfaced on social media, they sent netizens into a frenzy, calling them the feel-good moments of FIFA World Cup.
Part of the reason why fans are connecting with the Samurai Blue is because of their fighting till the end.
Japan rose to prominence after they handed crushing defeat to Germany and Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The win provided Brazil their round-of-16 matchup against Norway or Ivory Coast in New Jersey on July 5, 2026.
2026-06-30 20:54:00
