Brazil cruise past Scotland to win Group C
Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 to top Group C, with Vinicius Junior scoring twice and Neymar making his return to international play in Miami.
Mehmet Şahinoğlu ·
Brazil booked their place in the World Cup knockout stages on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Scotland in their final Group C match at Miami Stadium. The result lifted Brazil to seven points and confirmed them as group winners in front of 64,478 spectators.
Vinicius Junior scored twice to take his tournament tally to four goals, leaving him level with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland and one behind Lionel Messi. Matheus Cunha added the third goal after the break.
The match also featured Neymar’s return to the Brazil team, as the forward made his first international appearance since October 2023.
Brazil opened the scoring in the seventh minute after a Scotland defensive mistake, with Rayan winning the ball and finding Vinicius unmarked to finish into an empty net. Vinicius thought he had doubled the lead earlier in the half after dispossessing Jack Hendry, but a VAR review ruled the effort out for a foul in the build-up.
Brazil’s second goal arrived on the stroke of half-time when Bruno Guimaraes’ cross to the far post was met by a Vinicius header. In the second half, Guimaraes provided his second assist by driving into the box and setting up Cunha, who scored his third goal of the tournament.
Scotland struggle to threaten
Scotland failed to register a shot on target through most of the match and were largely limited to set-piece situations for their attacking opportunities. Brazil repeatedly won the ball high up the pitch and controlled the tempo after taking the lead.
Goalkeeper Alisson preserved the clean sheet, including a late save as Scotland pushed for a consolation in the closing minutes. Brazil’s defensive structure remained settled as the match moved toward a comfortable conclusion.
Group outcome and what comes next
Officials said Morocco finished second in Group C after a 4-2 win over Haiti, joining Brazil in the next phase of the tournament. Brazil will now turn attention to the knockout rounds, with squad management and Neymar’s integration among the key points to watch.