Vinicius Junior scored twice and Matheus Cunha added another as Brazil defeated Scotland 3 0 to finish top of Group C, with Neymar making his long awaited World Cup return….reports London Daily News Desk
Brazil secured top spot in Group C and advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 with an impressive 3 0 victory over Scotland, as Vinicius Junior starred with a first half brace and Neymar made his long awaited return to World Cup action.
The five time world champions dominated throughout at Miami Stadium, with Matheus Cunha adding the third goal to complete a comfortable victory that sets up a Round of 32 clash against the runners up from Group F on June 30 in Houston.
For Scotland, defeat left their hopes of reaching the knockout stage hanging by a thread. They finished third in the group on three points with a goal difference of minus three and must now wait to see if they qualify as one of the tournament’s best third placed teams.
Vinicius continued his outstanding form by becoming only the fifth Brazilian player to score in all three group stage matches at a World Cup, joining Jairzinho in 1970, Romario in 1994, and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002. On each of those occasions, Brazil went on to lift the World Cup trophy.
Brazil took control from the opening whistle, pressing high and denying Scotland any opportunity to settle into the contest.
The breakthrough came in the sixth minute after a costly defensive mistake. Under pressure from Rayan, Scotland defender Scott McKenna’s attempted clearance struck the Brazilian forward and fell kindly to Vinicius, who rounded goalkeeper Angus Gunn before calmly finishing into the empty net.
Vinicius thought he had doubled the advantage later in the half after winning possession from Jack Hendry and finishing confidently, but the effort was ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee review that deemed he had fouled the defender.
Scotland briefly steadied themselves before Brazil struck again deep into first half stoppage time. Bruno Guimaraes delivered an inviting cross that evaded Gunn, allowing Vinicius to head home his second goal of the night.
The Brazilian winger remained a constant threat after the interval, forcing Gunn into several excellent saves as Scotland struggled to contain the attacking pressure.
Brazil eventually added a third when Bruno Guimaraes once again turned provider, setting up Matheus Cunha, who fired a low finish into the near corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Scotland fought until the end but were denied a consolation goal by goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who produced fine saves to stop Lewis Ferguson’s free kick before twice frustrating Scott McTominay.
The evening became even more memorable for Brazilian supporters when Neymar was introduced late in the match. The veteran forward made his fourth successive World Cup appearance after recovering from injury, receiving a warm reception from the crowd.
Brazil’s commanding display underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites as they progressed to the knockout rounds with confidence, while Scotland were left anxiously awaiting results elsewhere to determine whether their World Cup journey would continue.
