Under a grey South Florida sky at Miami Stadium where David Beckham was questionably drinking red wine (in this humidity?) from a suite, Brazil put on a show that dampened Scotland’s party while clinching a spot in the knockout rounds.
Brazilian flags and the canary yellow-clad fans continuously erupted in cheer as Carlo Ancelotti’s side continued took full control of the evening and won Group C. As for the usually raucous Tartan Army, it saw Scotland sadly struggle to get anything going and cause mistake over mistake.
One thing is for sure. Ancelotti is slowly but surely returning the Joga Bonito personality to Brazil. And that’s a scary thing for anyone else standing in its way.
Here are my takeaways:
The night belonged to the five-time World Cup champion and most importantly, Vinícius Júnior, who is having a tournament to remember.
The Real Madrid star scored twice and gave the Scottish backline grief throughout the night, whilst Matheus Cunha sneakily scored his third goal of the competition to surprisingly also be in the mix for the Golden Boot race.
Thanks to his two goals, Vini Jr. has now scored in all three matches of the group stage – making him the first Brazilian to accomplish that feat since Rivaldo and Ronaldo in 2002, which is when the Seleção last won the World Cup.
In fact, every time this has happened, Brazil has won the World Cup as Romario did in 1994 and Jairzinho in 1970 – where the legendary winger scored in every game. Could Vinicius emulate that at this World Cup?
It’s obviously a big ask, but right now he has four goals — only one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race for the tournament’s top goalscorer. But what’s more important, Vinicius is leading by example. And that’s exactly what Brazil needs.
(Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It was also a night where Brazil welcomed back Neymar Jr., as the 34-year-old entered the pitch with less than 15 minutes to go. For Brazilians, it was their chance to welcome their legendary star once again.
After nearly three years, October 2023 to be exact, Neymar Jr. returned to action with Brazil. It has been an arduous time filled with injury-ridden problems that included his ACL and meniscus tear. But once he entered the pitch in the 76th minute to replace Matheus Cunha, the crowd on their feet chanted his name with excitement.
This is exactly why Ancelotti brought him back to the squad. To not just perform but to ignite a fire within Brazil. If he can be an impactful player, even in 15–20 minutes of action, then Brazil will feel deeper, stronger and more confident.
(Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
