Neymar’s return, Vini Jr’s night: Brazil go into knockout stages with 3-0 win against Scotland
Miami has been gripped for days by a strange prediction by a Brazilian psychic who claimed aliens would descend on the stadium during Brazil’s World Cup match against Scotland. Instead, the only visitors to leave the sell-out crowd speechless were Carlo Ancelotti’s men, with Vinicius Jr. he proved again why he is becoming the face of this Brazilian side.
On a night when 64,478 fans packed Miami Stadium to welcome Neymar back to the World Cup stage for the first time since October 2023, it was Vinicius who delivered the headline act. The Real Madrid forward scored twice before Matheus Cunha added a third as Brazil eased to a 3-0 win over Scotland to seal top spot in Group C with seven points.
Neymar’s return elicited the loudest cheer of the evening from the bench. However, Vinicius made sure the football was his.
Scotland vs Brazil, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlighting
VINICIUS REFUSES THE TONE
Steve Clarke has warned Scotland will have to survive Brazil’s early onslaught. His fears were realized within the opening 10 minutes.
Scott McKenna’s hesitation in his own penalty area proved fatal as Rayan relentlessly closed him down. The youngster won the ball, slid the ball into Vinicius’ path and the Brazilian needed no further invitation. As Angus Gunn raced off his line, Vinicius calmly slotted the ball past the keeper and slotted it into the empty net.
It was his fourth goal of the tournament and continued a remarkable run that saw him score in every match of the group stage. The strike also moved the 25-year-old level with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, one behind Lionel Messi. Vinicius Jr. is one goal behind the current leaders of the Zlatá kopačka race. (Image: Reuters)
Brazil thought they had doubled their lead before the first rehydration break when Vinicius capitalized on a Scotland mistake again to get rid of Jack Hendry before finding the net. The celebrations were cut short after a VAR review flagged a foul in the build-up, giving Scotland a temporary reprieve.
It made little difference to the overall course of the competition.
Brazil hunted in packs whenever possession was lost, forcing Scotland into hasty disposals and snap decisions. Clarke’s side enjoyed spells of set pieces but never really threatened Alisson’s goal as they failed to register a shot on target before the break.
SCOTLAND WILL PAY THE PRICE
If the opening goal stemmed from indecisiveness, the second revealed Scotland’s inability to cope with Brazil’s relentless pressure.
Moments before the break, Brazil regained possession high up the pitch. Bruno Guimaraes lifted a teasing cross to the far post where Vinicius turned away from his keeper. The striker simply nodded past Gunn to double Brazil’s advantage and all but end the game before half-time.
Across the continent, Morocco and Haiti produced a six-goal thriller in Atlanta, but events in Miami were inevitable. Brazil never looked flustered, never looked rushed and rarely seemed to get out of second gear.
Their dominance was even more evident after the restart.
Guimaraes, excellent throughout, claimed his second assist of the night when he slipped through Scotland’s center before sliding in a perfectly balanced pass to Matheus Cunha. The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward kept his composure to score home team Brazil’s third and his third goal of the tournament. Bruno Guimares had two assists against Scotland. (Image: Reuters)
By then Scotland’s resistance had long since evaporated.
BIGGEST FEATURE
However, the loudest moment of the evening came without a goal.
When the fourth official raised the board and Neymar’s number 10 appeared, the stadium rose in near unison. Almost three years after his last appearance at the World Cup and after a long battle with injury, Brazil’s record goalscorer is back in the famous yellow shirt.
The 34-year-old looked sharp in his brief cameo, linking play neatly and almost creating another opening as Brazil comfortably handled the closing stages.
His return offered Ancelotti another weapon as the knockout rounds approach, but also reinforced an interesting reality. Neymar Jr could be a key weapon for Ancelotti if Brazil go deep in this tournament. (Image: Reuters)
Brazil are no longer waiting for Neymar to save them.
They found a new flag bearer in Vinicius Jr. Vinicius Jr is Brazil’s main man. (Image: Reuters)
The Real Madrid winger has now scored in all three of their group stage matches, combining ruthless finishing with relentless pressure and growing maturity. Every attack seemed to flow through him, he punished every Scottish mistake and every moment of significance bore his stamp.
Brazil finished the group stage unbeaten with seven points, while Morocco sealed second place with a 4-2 victory over Haiti and condemned Scotland to an early exit.
Miami spent days searching for something extraordinary.
Instead, he was extraordinary right on the pitch in Brazil’s number 7 shirt.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
25 Jun 2026 06:05 IST