Brazil face Japan in a blockbuster round of 32 World Cup clash that could certainly live up to the billing.
Carlo Ancelotti's men topped Group C with relative ease, as an opening 1-1 draw with Morocco was followed by convincing 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland.
Japan scored seven goals across their three group stage games, finishing second behind the Netherlands after drawing with both the Dutch and Sweden, with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia sandwiched in between.
These two teams have met at the World Cup just once before, with the South American giants running out 4-1 winners back in 2006.
Brazil v Japan Tips Summary
Best Bet - Brazil to win @ 4/6
Alternative Bet - Vinicius Jnr to score anytime @ 6/5
Bet Builder - Matheus Cunha 1+ shot on target, Ayase Ueda 1+ shot on target, Both teams to score & Takehiro Tomiyasu 1+ foul committed @ 10/3
Brazil v Japan Prediction
Best Bet: Brazil to win @ 4/6
Despite a stuttering start to the tournament, Brazil are finally hitting their groove.
While Haiti and Scotland were hardly the highest standard of opposition, scoring six times and conceding no goals has enabled the Selecao to pick up momentum.
A tie against Japan would rather have been avoided, but if Ancelotti wishes to lead the Brazilians to a sixth World Cup, sooner or later his team are going to have to defeat the best sides.
The Japanese might take some confidence from the fact they secured their first-ever win over the South Americans back in October.
Trailing 2-0 after 30 minutes in that game, the Samurai Blue produced a stunning comeback to eventually prevail 3-2.
There is no doubt Japan will be up for the battle in Houston, but backing Brazil to win this tie in normal time offers good value at 4/6.
Alternative Bet: Vinicius Jnr to score @ 6/5
Prior to this World Cup, Vinicius Jnr had scored just nine goals across 49 appearances for Brazil.
During the group stage, he added four goals to his tally, including a brace against Scotland in the final match.
Ancelotti's talisman has lived up to the hype so far at this tournament, but now the real work begins.
He could stake his claim for the Golden Boot with another goal or two against Japan and, with confidence sky high, expect the Real Madrid sensation to have plenty of chances in the final third.
Brazil v Japan Bet Builder Tip
Matheus Cunha 1+ shot on target
Ayase Ueda1+ shot on target
Takehiro Tomiyasu 1+ foul committed
Both teams to score
Pays 10/3
While Vinicius Jnr leads the way for Brazil so far with four goals, Matheus Cunha has also offered a major attacking threat.
The Manchester United forward has been deployed through the middle by Ancelotti, scoring three goals.
He has registered four shots on target over the previous two matches and backing him to manage at least one is the ideal way to start this bet builder.
Japan will be pinning their hopes on Ayase Ueda, who scored twice against Tunisia. The Feyenoord striker has managed three shots on target during the tournament so far and he will be unleashed once again in this round of 32 clash.
The Samurai Blue will have to stop Vinicius Jnr and right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu will be the man tasked with preventing him from scoring.
It could be a long 90 minutes for the former Arsenal player, who has already committed four fouls across his previous two matches. Expect another one at least against the Brazilians.
For the final leg of this bet builder, backing both teams to score could be a wise bet.
The previous meeting between the nations finished 3-2 and Brazil have conceded goals to the likes of Panama, Egypt and Bolivia in recent matches.
Japan have scored in 10 successive matches, so, expect this run to continue as they look to make things difficult for Brazil.
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Key Match Stats
Brazil and Japan have met at the World Cup on one previous occasion and that was back in 2006
Japan sealed their first-ever win over Brazil in October 2025
Brazil have won all four matches against Asian opposition at the World Cup
Japan have reached the knockout stages of the World Cup on four previous occasions, but have never reached the quarter-finals
Both Brazil and Japan have scored seven goals at the tournament so far
Vinicius Jnr became the first Brazilian since Ronaldo in 2002 to score in all three group games
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
