Neymar back as Brazil cruise past Scotland to book World Cup last-32 spot
By Joel Masibo, June 25, 2026Brazil secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Scotland in their final Group C fixture at Miami Stadium on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
The South Americans were inspired by a brace from Vinicius Junior, who found the net in each half before Matheus Cunha sealed the result after the break.
Brazil made a dream start, taking the lead just seven minutes into the contest following a defensive lapse from Scotland. Centre-back Scott McKenna hesitated while attempting to clear the danger inside his own box, allowing Rayan to pounce and win possession. The forward then squared the ball to Vinicius, who made no mistake from close range.
The Brazilians thought they had doubled their lead earlier in the half, but a VAR review ruled out another Vinicius effort after officials judged that he had committed a foul on Jack Hendry during the build-up. The decision prompted visible frustration from the Real Madrid winger.
Despite that setback, Brazil eventually extended their advantage moments before the interval. Bruno Guimaraes delivered a dangerous ball into the area, but Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn failed to deal with the cross after misjudging its flight. Vinicius capitalized on the error, nodding the ball into an unguarded goal to make it 2-0.
The five-time world champions continued to dominate after halftime and grabbed a third goal in the 60th minute. Guimaraes was once again at the heart of the move, winning possession from a Scottish defender before evading another challenge with impressive skill. Rather than shooting himself, he picked out Matheus Cunha, who tapped home from inside the penalty area.
Vinicius’ latest double means he has now scored in all three of Brazil’s group-stage matches. The forward moves onto four goals in the tournament, level with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, while trailing tournament top scorer Lionel Messi by one goal.
Neymar makes emotional return
Another major moment came in the 75th minute when Neymar made his long-awaited return to international action. Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals for his country, had not featured for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023.
The win saw Brazil finish at the summit of Group C with seven points, having recorded two victories and one draw. Morocco also ended on seven points after a 4-2 triumph over Haiti but had to settle for second place due to an inferior goal difference. Scotland concluded their campaign in third position with three points and were eliminated from the competition.