Why Carlo Ancelotti didn't play Neymar in Brazil's last-minute win against Japan

Brazil had a rough start against Japan in the Round of 32 contest of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday, June 29. Despite conceding first, Brazil had the last laugh at the Houston Stadium and have secured their spot at the Round of 16.

Fans are happy to see their team win but they definitely missed seeing Neymar Jr in action. Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti detailed the strategic reason why the star player did not get any minutes against Japan.

Carlo Ancelotti was waiting for the right moment for Neymar

Brazil's coach, Carlo Ancelotti had plans to play Neymar in the match against Japan but his team put the game to bed before that could happen. Brazil defeated Japan 2-1 after a exceptional second half performance that led to a late winner.

Despite the win, Ancelotti faced another question: Why did Neymar not play? The coach said, "We were waiting to use Neymar for extra time". Ancelotti shared he had a discussion with Neymar and was waiting for the right time to substitute him. Neymar was seen warming up in the sidelines and fans were expecting him to come on any minute which never happened.

"I spoke with him and he was scheduled to come on between the 60th and 65th minute. But then we equalised the match and I did not want to alter our tactical structure because the team had complete control of the game", he added.

An intense contest

The Brazil-Japan match was a tense one indeed. Japan's Kaishu Sano stunned their opponents with a beautiful goal in 29th minute. The Asian country held on to the lead for quite some time but the Latin American giants were too much for them to take on after half-time.

Brazil had a far better game in the second half and made several attempts at goal, making it difficult for Japan to defend. In the 56th minute, it was no surprise when Casemiro scored the equaliser.

Tied at 1-1, it seemed like extra-time was inevitable till the very last moment of normal time. But, Gabriel Martinelli flipped the script when he sent the ball in the back of the net in the 90+6th minute.

Japan could not recover from the shock and Brazil's late winner bore fruit. The Blue Samurais are yet to register their first World Cup knock-out win.

Fans will look forward to see Neymar play in Brazil's Round of 16 match on July 5. The five-time World Champions will face the winner of the Norway vs Ivory Coast match.

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