Vinicius Junior scored the first two goals and Neymar’s return helped Brazil defeat Scotland and seal top spot in their World Cup group.
Published June 25, 2026
Vinicius Junior scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Scotland in the final Group C match, sealing Brazil’s place in the World Cup finals. Neymar also played in a Brazil uniform for the first time in three years.
Wednesday’s victory took place at a packed Miami Stadium with 64,478 fans watching as Carlo Ancelotti’s side lead the group with seven points, while Morocco took second place with a 4-2 win over Haiti.
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Vinicius has scored in every game so far, with the 25-year-old having scored four goals in this competition, putting him in an elite group alongside Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, just one goal behind Lionel Messi.
Scotland coach Stephen Clarke said he expected Brazil to attack from the start and it took the South Americans seven minutes to take a 1-0 lead when Scott McKenna failed to clear the ball, Rayane kicked it and Vinicius was free.
As goalkeeper Angus Gunn scrambled to stop him, the Real Madrid forward took one touch to bring the ball in front of him and smashed it into an empty net as the yellow fans roared.
Just before the first water break, Brazil almost made it 2–0 when Vinicius kicked the ball from Jack Hendry and scored, but Scotland earned a reprieve after a VAR check and the goal was overturned by the referee as a foul on the Brazilian.
That was the theme of the first half, with Brazil becoming more aggressive in trying to win the ball back, but Scotland were unable to capitalize on their only chance to score from a set piece, ending the first half with zero shots on target.
Brazil’s second goal hit home for Scotland just before half-time. Once again the team won the ball high up the pitch and Bruno Guimarães crossed the ball to the far post for a grateful Vinicius to head home his second goal.
In the second half, Brazil looked for a third goal, and Guimarães danced into the box to provide the assist for the second goal, while Matheus Cunha scored his third goal of the tournament.
But the biggest cheer of the night went to Neymar, with Ancelotti introducing the 34-year-old in a Brazil shirt for the first time since October 2023.
Scotland showed little in the way of attack, with Brazil keeping a clean sheet, while Alisson was a force in goal, denying them a final chance in the closing stages.
