Lula Admits Wanting Casemiro Off Before Decisive World Cup Goal

Brazilian President Lula da Silva praised coach Carlo Ancelotti for keeping Casemiro on the field against Japan. Lula admitted he, like others, wanted the midfielder substituted before he scored a crucial goal in Brazil's 2-1 World Cup victory.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva praised Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti for retaining midfielder Casemiro during Brazil's FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Japan, admitting that he too had initially wanted the veteran substituted before the midfielder scored the decisive goal. In a video shared by Metropoles on its X handle, Lula said many people watching the match with him had called for Casemiro to be taken off, and he had agreed with them before the midfielder proved everyone wrong. "Yesterday I was watching Brazil vs. Japan, and everyone who was with me was saying to take Casemiro out. I was in that boat too. But then I learned that it's very easy to give advice. Now I want to thank Ancelotti for not taking Casemiro out, because he came back and scored the goal," the Brazilian President said.

Dramatic Finish Sees Brazil Past Japan

Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil mounted a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Japan 2-1, securing a hard-fought ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 in front of a packed stadium on Monday (local time).

Japan stunned the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose ball deep inside his own half. Sano embarked on a brilliant 40-yard solo sprint before drilling a fierce strike past Alisson to make it 1-0.

After a frustrating first half where Japan's Zion Suzuki remained largely untroubled, Brazil intensified the pressure. Gabriel Magalhaes curled a precise cross toward the back post, allowing veteran midfielder Casemiro to rise highest and power a header home, levelling the game at 1-1.

With the match looking destined for extra time, Danilo won the ball back deep in transition, finding Endrick. The youngster smartly laid it off for Bruno Guimaraes, who slid a perfect pass to an unmarked Gabriel Martinelli inside the box. Martinelli took a composed touch and slotted it into the far corner, squeezing it past a desperate Suzuki to seal the 2-1 victory.

Brazil advances to the Round of 16, where they will face either Ivory Coast or Norway on July 5 at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.

Historical Context of a Rare Matchup

While this Round of 32 clash in the expanded 2026 format produced an instant classic, matchups between these two nations on football's grandest stage are exceedingly rare. Before this 2026 encounter, Brazil and Japan had faced each other only once in FIFA World Cup history: Germany 2006. Much like the 2026 match, Japan actually took a surprise lead via Keiji Tamada in the 34th minute. However, a star-studded Selecão stormed back with a brace from Ronaldo, alongside goals from Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto to secure a comfortable 4-1 victory.

History heavily favours Brazil in this matchup. Across 15 meetings, the Selecao have won 12, with 2 draws and just a single loss. But that one defeat looms large. Months before this tournament, Japan pulled off a stunning 3-2 friendly win in Tokyo -- their first ever against the South Americans. (ANI)

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