Brazil finished top of Group C at the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Scotland after a magical night for the yellow and blue in Miami. A brace from Vinicius Junior in the first half, followed by a third goal from Mattheus Khunja, saw Brazil easily overcome Scotland. Scotland, on the other hand, did not seem to gain control of the game once during the 90 minutes. We will have to wait until the group stage is over to see if the Tartan Army can advance as one of the best third-place finishers.
From the first whistle at the Miami Stadium, Brazil were in control of the game. The yellow team, who increased the pace of the game, did not allow Scotland to get out of the game once. After the match against Morocco, Ancelotti’s side had many doubts about their performance. But if there’s anything to learn from the past few games, it’s that they’re hitting form at the right time. Rafinha suffered a hamstring injury in the last game and was replaced by Bournemouth’s Ryan. So after 1970, Ryan became a teenager wearing a jersey for Brazil. Kunja once again stepped into the traditional striker’s role and took the helm of the attacks. Ancelotti’s strategy has paid off.
Brazil started the game strongly. They advanced by putting pressure on a low-confidence Scotland defence. Steve Clarke’s Scotland didn’t show much excitement in the first half, although it’s impossible to say whether it was because the result of the game felt so important, or if it was a natural reaction to playing against Brazil. They had to pay the penalty early in the game for lack of action. A mistake by defender Scott McKenna allowed Venizeus Jr. to score an easy goal. McKenna received the ball from his goalkeeper in the sixth minute of the game. From there, Scotland’s left-back Andy Robertson was left with more than enough space to pass the ball. He should have done it sooner, especially when he saw that Ryan was against him. Instead, McKenna himself took a few touches and hit the ball into the middle. Ryan blocked the move. And so the ball rolled in front of Vinicius Jr. Vinicius, on the other hand, took his strike strategically. After getting away from goalkeeper Angus Gunn, he fired the ball into an empty net. It was a very unfortunate moment for Scotland. Especially to fall behind by a goal so early against their formidable opponents. But they have only themselves to blame for this.
In the 21st minute, a mistake by McKenna’s defensive partner Jack Hendry would have cost Scotland another goal, but Vinicius’ goal from that mistake was eventually disallowed for a foul. After the first drinks break, Scotland had control of the ball for a while. New breaks like this can change the momentum and flow of a game, and show what happens when a two-half game is turned into four. However, Venezius Jr. doubled their lead with a second goal to spoil Scotland’s hopes of going into the break just one goal behind.
It was no ordinary move that resulted in the second goal. It also started with a mistake in the Scottish defence. Bruno Guimaraes runs into the box and is blocked by Andy Robertson. However, the bounced ball was brought under control by the child. A series of mistakes by the Scottish defense meant the ball was back in Guimarães’ control. It was duly delivered to Vinicius, who was standing inside the post. Vinicius headed it easily to complete his double.
The second half saw the continuation of Brazil’s dominance. Brazil made sure their victory was assured with Kunja’s 60th minute goal. Casemiro’s pass from the half-line was intercepted by Bruno Guimeres behind the defence. Guimerez used his power to fend off Kenny McLean and take control. Then, with a brilliant move, Guimaraes brought the goalkeeper and two defenders close to him. At this point the baby broke through the defensive line. A measured and weighted pass to his right was flicked into the helpless net by the baby. Scotland’s backline scrambled to stop. There was no way the baby was going to waste such a good opportunity. Brazil took a 3-0 lead.
Miami Stadium was filled with loud cheers in the 75th minute as Neymar Jr. made his first appearance in Brazil’s jersey in three years. His inclusion in the World Cup squad had been the subject of much debate in the previous months. But one thing was clear from the roar of the crowd—everyone loved his return. But it was very clear that this former star had not achieved his full athletic potential. He could be seen working to move with the speed of the game. Whether Ancelotti will include him in the squad for the knockout round remains to be seen. It remains to be seen if he can put up a fight in what could be his last World Cup.
Brazil could have comfortably scored five or six goals in this match if they had capitalized on their chances. However, winning a match 3-0 will not look back with regret. With this victory, Brazil became the winners of Group C. They will face the Group F runners-up in the knockout stage. It has to be Japan. Instead, Scotland will look back on this match with only regret. After this match result, their position is 6th out of 8 teams that can enter the next round. They still have a good chance of reaching the knockout rounds. But, it’s just that they can no longer decide their chances on their own. Scotland’s knockout dreams could be dashed if the Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador and Senegal win two, or Cape Verde and Belgium manage to secure a win or a draw. Now the Tartan Army can only hope and pray that the results of the match go in their favour.
