On Saturday, November 14, 2026, the Brazil national football team suffered a stunning 3–2 defeat against Japan in an international friendly at the Singapore National Stadium, concluding a turbulent tour of Southeast Asia.
The Samurai Blue struck twice in the opening period to stun the five-time world champions. Takefusa Kubo opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he was launched into the penalty area, before Keito Nakamura doubled the advantage four minutes later by sweeping home a right-sided cross, as reported by Sports – Orange.
SO FOOT.com reported that Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to rejuvenate his squad by naming 15 players under the age of 23 ultimately backfired during a shaky first half. Vinícius Júnior provided a lifeline for the Seleção in the 33rd minute, driving a superb strike from outside the area past the Japanese defense after receiving a pass from Bruno Guimarães.
Brazil pressed forward after the break, with Raphinha testing the goalkeeper in the 48th minute and Gabriel Magalhães missing a header from a corner kick in the 69th minute. Vinícius leveled the score at 2–2 in the 75th minute by finding the bottom left corner following another corner routine orchestrated by Bruno Guimarães.
Endrick nearly completed the comeback in the 80th minute when his long-range effort rattled the left post. However, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto secured victory for Japan in stoppage time, firing into the top opposite corner from the right side of the penalty area in the 90st minute after a flurry of attacking chances from his teammates.
The match descended into chaos in the final moments, culminating in red cards for both Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti and captain Raphinha. Referee Jansen Foo Chuan Hui dismissed Ancelotti for failing to control his technical area as substitutes flooded the pitch, according to Yahoo Actualités.
“It m’a donné le carton rouge parce qu’il a dit que je n’étais pas capable de contrôler le banc et que tous les joueurs étaient sur le terrain. C’est la raison,” said Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil head coach, told Lance.
Raphinha, who had already been substituted for Endrick earlier in the half, received his marching orders for fierce protests from the bench. Foot Mercato reported that the Barcelona winger launched a scathing critique of the officiating crew following the final whistle.
“Tout d’abord, je tiens à m’excuser pour mon expulsion. Mais parfois, il est difficile de garder son sang-froid après autant d’erreurs de l’arbitre. J’ai essayé de lui parler à plusieurs reprises, et pas une seule fois il n’a voulu m’écouter. C’est inacceptable,” said Raphinha, Brazil international, told Globo.
Raphinha specifically pointed to a perceived handball on Japan’s opening goal, a penalty appeal turned down in the first half, and a foul on João Gomes preceding Japan’s third goal. Despite the VAR review, the referee upheld the decisive strike, intensifying the frustrations of the South American side.
The defeat marks only the second loss of Ancelotti’s 21-match tenure in charge of the Seleção, with both setbacks occurring during friendly fixtures. The squad remains based in Southeast Asia to address the fallout from the performance.
Brazil returns to the Singapore National Stadium on Tuesday to face the national team of Singapore in their next scheduled friendly fixture.
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