SINGAPORE - Japan's national soccer team defeated five-time World Cup champions Brazil 3-2 in an international friendly in Singapore on November 14th, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scoring a dramatic late winner to secure Japan's second-ever victory over the South American powerhouse.
The match was a rematch of the two teams' meeting at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, where Japan suffered a 2-1 defeat in June.
Japan took the lead through goals from Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad and Keito Nakamura of Lyon, but Brazil fought back to level the score at 2-2. With the match approaching its conclusion, Sakamoto, who plays for Coventry City in England, struck the decisive goal to seal a memorable victory.
The result marked Japan's first win over Brazil since an international friendly in Tokyo in October 2025, when Japan recorded its historic first victory against the five-time world champions.
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu addressed reporters at a post-match press conference following the victory, while Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti also spoke to the media, acknowledging the threat posed by Japan's attacking play.
"Japan is a dangerous team on the counterattack," Ancelotti said, highlighting the speed and effectiveness of the Japanese team's transitions from defense to attack.
The victory provided Japan with another significant result against one of international soccer's most successful nations as the team continued its preparations during its overseas tour.
Japan will next face Paraguay in another international friendly in Singapore on November 17th, a match that will mark the team's final appearance under Moriyasu.
The squad returned to training on November 15th, with players who had remained on the bench or played limited minutes against Brazil taking part in an energetic session ahead of the Paraguay encounter.
Sakamoto, who scored the winning goal against Brazil, joined Takumi Minamino of Monaco and other players in working on building attacks from the back, focusing on passing combinations and movement before taking part in small-sided games.
Meanwhile, Kubo and other players who started against Brazil were given a lighter recovery session consisting mainly of walking, allowing them to recover from the demanding encounter.
The November 17th match against Paraguay will bring Japan's Singapore tour to a close and serve as Moriyasu's final match in charge, following a period that included the team's historic second victory over Brazil.
Source: Kyodo
