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Vinicius Jr sends Brazil into World Cup last 32, who do they play? Are Scotland out?

Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring another World Cup goal

Vinicius Junior scored twice against Scotland in Miami and now has four goals at the tournament. Carmen Mandato - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

By Phil Hay and Dan SheldonJune 24, 2026 Updated 8:24 pm EDT

Brazil advanced to the World Cup knockout rounds and will play their round of 32 game in Houston on Monday after Vinicius Junior scored twice to leave Scotland facing an anxious wait to see if their campaign will continue.

Scotland could have guaranteed a knockout place with an unlikely win but gifted Vinicius Jr his first goal and eventually lost 3-0, leaving them third in group C and hoping that three points will be enough to see them through.

To do so they will need to remain as one of the eight best third-placed teams come the end of the group stages on Saturday. At present The Athletic’s projection tool gives them a 56 per cent chance of doing so.

Brazil’s next opponent will be one of Japan, Netherlands or Sweden, with that group concluding tomorrow.

Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha scored the third goal and was then replaced by Neymar, making his first Brazil appearance since 2023 to the delight of the crowd at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

Here The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon and Phil Hay break down the key talking points.

Who do Brazil play in the last 32? Are Scotland out?

As winners of Group C, Brazil will face the runners up in Group F in Houston on Monday, with Japan the most likely opponents according to The Athletic’s projection tool.

Netherlands top that group at present with four points, the same as Japan, and play Tunisia, who have already been eliminated ahead of the final group round on Thursday. Sweden must beat Japan to finish second.

Morocco finished second in Group C after coming from behind to beat Haiti and will play the winners of Group F (most likely Netherlands) in Monterrey on Monday, June 29.

Haiti were eliminated after losing their opening two games, while Scotland must hope their three points is enough to advance as one of the best third-place teams.

If Scotland make it through they are most likely to place Mexico in Mexico City on June 30 but that will become clearer over the coming days and you can track how it changes here.

Can Vinicius Jr win the star-studded golden boot race?

This World Cup has quickly turned into a shootout between the best players on the planet for the Golden Boot.

And Vinicius Jr, following two goals against Scotland, has now drawn level with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe on four, with Lionel Messi out in front on five after his first-ever World Cup hat-trick against Algeria on June 16

The other three players still have to play their final group stage match, so could add to their tallies, but the Brazilian is in sensational form and continually showing just how good he is on the biggest stage possible.

He was levels above any other player on the pitch against Scotland.

Whether it is a great touch to round the goalkeeper or peeling off the defender to leave himself unmarked to head home from a cross at the back post, Vinicius Jr is displaying all the different ways he can hurt a defence.

With Brazil in this form, there is every chance they can advance into the latter stages of the World Cup, and that would give Vinicius Jr a great opportunity to finish as the tournament’s highest scorer.

Dan Sheldon

How did Neymar look on his World Cup return?

No matter his form or his waning star, Neymar’s popularity in Brazil is stratospheric. Their fans were chanting for him to come on in Miami as the second half ticked by, and a huge cheer went up when the camera panned to him, showing that he was getting ready to appear.

Neymar made his first appearance at the World Cup (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Carlo Ancelotti duly bowed to Neymar’s adoring public, getting him ready around the 70th minute, but the forward had to stand and wait for a period of Scotland pressure to end. The crowd booed the delay but were eventually satisfied when he replaced Matheus Cunha on 76 minutes. His initial touch was his first in a Brazil shirt since October 2023. The road has been long.

Phil Hay

How did Scotland gift Vinicius Jr his first?

Vinicius Jr has been inevitable at the World Cup.

So, what you don’t want to do if you are Scotland is give him one of the easiest chances he will have to score in the tournament, but that is exactly what they did.

Scotland’s Scott McKenna was closed down by Rayan, the 19-year-old winger full of energy, and took a heavy touch inside the area, leading to the Brazilian winning blocking the ball and it bouncing across the box to his team-mate.

And Vinicius Jr, with a deft touch to round Angus Gunn, leaving himself with nothing but an empty net to roll the ball into couldn’t have wished for a better start.

It was a brutal exercise in two quality players punishing a needless mistake. If McKenna had that moment again, you can be certain he would kick it long.

The 26-year-old Real Madrid star has now scored in all three of Brazil’s group stage matches in what has become a World Cup where the biggest players — think Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo — are trying to outdo each other.

Only this time, his goal proved one of the three that are now hugely damaging to Scotland’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage for the first time at a World Cup.

Dan Sheldon

Why were Scotland so bad?

If you’re of a Scotland persuasion, cover your eyes. At three major tournaments under Steve Clarke, they’ve played nine games, won one, claimed five points and scored four goals. Braveheart reincarnated it isn’t, and if they do squeeze through to the knockouts, they’ll be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the 48-team format.

Put simply, they’ve scored one goal fewer than the only team they’ve beaten, Haiti, and that’s the one match in which their expected goals (xG) total scraped above one. It’s not unusual for Scotland to be conservative under Clarke but while they’ve managed to get a handle on qualifying, they’re not offering enough when the finals start.

Clarke’s central defensive options are a problem — there’s nothing truly elite there — and it’s no surprise to see them exposed by Morocco and Brazil. Brazil’s xG was just under 2.8 at half-time today. But as much of a handicap is the form of key midfielders, the perceived aces in Clarke’s pack.

McTominay heads the ball at Brazil goalkeeper Alisson (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Scott McTominay — Serie A title winner with Napoli, don’t forget — has had a strange tournament, devoid of top form. Up until half-time in Miami, he’d produced four shots, none of them on target, and created no chances. From nowhere, opportunities began to flow after the interval — two headers and a bundled, close-range effort before a fine late chance in stoppage-time was placed straight at Alisson.

Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson isn’t flying either, and John McGinn’s endeavour hasn’t translated into telling attacking numbers. At present, they’re in line to meet Mexico at the Azteca in the last 32 — and they won’t get far in the Mexican altitude playing like this.

Phil Hay

What was David Beckham up to?

Eyes on the crowd are always a good idea at the World Cup, and we saw Pep Guardiola keeping a low profile in the stands at Scotland’s previous game Morocco — a man with time on his hands after quitting Manchester City.

David Beckham, the co-owner of Inter Miami, turned out for Scotland versus Brazil, caught on camera sipping a large glass of red wine. This isn’t Beckham’s stomping ground — the games in Miami are being played at the home of the NFL Dolphins rather than MLS Inter — but they’ll have got him a nice vintage, surely.

Phil Hay