Check out the full World Cup schedule here<\/a> in Australian timesABC Sport podcast: Check out the latest episode here<\/a><\/p>\n Follow all the action in our live blog.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n Live updates: Brazil vs JapanTue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n BRAZIL IS LEVEL! GAME ON!Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n 54′ How haven’t Brazil scored there!?<\/p>\n Brazil is really turning the screw now and Japan is hanging on a touch right now.<\/p>\n A ball is floated into the penalty area and then Casemiro produces a diving header, which cleared off the line by a Japanese defender.<\/p>\n There’s an almighty scramble and the Samurai Blue somehow get the ball away.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:16am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:16am<\/p>\n 52′ Big save Japan!<\/p>\n Best chance of the game for Brazil.<\/p>\n The ball is whipped into the penalty area and\u00a0Bruno Guimar\u00e3es gets his head on the ball.<\/p>\n He makes good contact but it’s a brilliant save from Zion Suzuki above his head.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:13am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:13am<\/p>\n 49′ Endrick lively, booking for Brazil<\/p>\n Daizen Maeda picks up the ball in midfield and motors forward – but doesn’t get too far, with Danilo bringing him down cynically.<\/p>\n It’s a yellow card for the Brazilian fullback.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Endrick has looked lively since entering the game at halftime.<\/p>\n He’s produced a couple deft touches and came close to threading something through the Japanese defence.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:08am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:08am<\/p>\n Brazil with 45 minutes to save their World Cup<\/p>\n And Carlo Ancelotti has turned to his bench, bringing on teen sensation Endrick for\u00a0Lucas Paquet\u00e1, who looks like he may be carrying a bit of a knock.<\/p>\n Endrick will play in the forward line, with\u00a0Matheus Cunha likely to drop a little deeper to account for Paqueta’s absence in midfield.<\/p>\n We’re back underway in Houston.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:02am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:02am<\/p>\n HT stats<\/p>\n Plenty of possession, not a whole lot of incision for Brazil.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:51am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:51am<\/p>\n HT: Japan 1 – 0 Brazil Wow, we are on course for a seismic result in Houston.<\/p>\n Japan have had little of the ball but have been incredibly well disciplined while defending, starving Brazil of any meaningful moments in the final third.<\/p>\n There’s more than a little frustration beginning to seep into proceedings for the five-time world champions as well, with superstar Vini Junior among those in yellow visibly disappointed with his side’s lack of movement and creativity going forward.<\/p>\n But what a moment it was for\u00a0Kaishu Sano.<\/p>\n The central midfielder, recalled to the starting XI, picked up the ball close to halfway, breezed through a stagnant Brazilian midfield, and fired hard and true from the edge of the penalty area.<\/p>\n Japan halfway there.<\/p>\n Brazil with a lot of work to do.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:47am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:47am<\/p>\n 45+1′ We’re into four minutes of stoppage timeTue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:47am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:47am<\/p>\n 45′ Another Japanese booking<\/p>\n Japan have certainly had less of the ball, but they have been able to be a lot more productive with it.<\/p>\n They are once again looking menacing moving forward, and the ball is played out brilliantly to Junya Ito on the right.<\/p>\n He cuts in, lets fly, but his effort is blocked by the first man.<\/p>\n Brazil with a chance to break, and Daichi Kamada is cynical in stopping it.<\/p>\n It’s a yellow card, meaning both of Japan’s central midfielders have now been booked.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:39am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:39am<\/p>\n 37′ Brazil pushing forward after conceding<\/p>\n Brazil has been forced to be patient since conceding, with Japan being incredibly disciplined in its low block.<\/p>\n Vini Junior had an effort easily saved and\u00a0Matheus Cunha is the latest to try his luck.<\/p>\n His shot from range is low and weak and easily saved by Zion Suzuki.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n 29′ OH MY! JAPAN IN FRONT! What a moment in Houston!<\/p>\n It’s\u00a0Kaishu Sano with his first international goal and it’s an absolute peach!<\/p>\n The central midfielder intercepts a pass on halfway and charges through a pretty lifeless Brazilian defence.<\/p>\n He makes his way to the edge of the penalty area and he lashes his shot low and hard and into the net!<\/p>\n Massive.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:29am<\/p>\n 28′ Japan chance from the set piece<\/p>\n Japan are a very well-drilled team from the dead ball, and have an opportunity to swing a corner in.<\/p>\n And it’s Ayase Ueda rising high and getting his head on the cross!<\/p>\n But he’s unhappy with himself as his effort flies well over the bar.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:24am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:24am<\/p>\n 24′ We’re off for a drink Plenty of territory for Brazil, but, as of yet, nothing too clear cut in terms of chances.<\/p>\n Japan has been disciplined in its low block, but there is a heart-in-mouth moment for the Samurai Blue as\u00a0Keito Nakamura gives the ball away in his own half.<\/p>\n Douglas Santos can’t make the most of the opportunity, tackled sooner rather than later, but it’s a kind of carelessness Japan can ill-afford today in Texas.<\/p>\n We’ve reached the first-half hydration break.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:16am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:16am<\/p>\n 14′ Chance Brazil and yellow card Japan<\/p>\n Matheus Cunha curls a low shot and it’s well saved by Zion Suzuki.<\/p>\n There’s another chance from the resulting corner, but it’s just wide.<\/p>\n Moments earlier,\u00a0Kaishu Sano saw yellow for a mistimed challenge on Vini Junior.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:14am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:14am<\/p>\n 10′ Friendly fire<\/p>\n Brazil make their way into the penalty area and\u00a0Bruno Guimar\u00e3es hammers something towards goal, but his effort catches Lucas Paquet\u00e1 flush in the face and the attack fizzles out.<\/p>\n Japan reply with their first meaningful foray forward.<\/p>\n Keito Nakamura manufactures some room for a cross but it’s well death with by the Brazilian defence.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:10am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:10am<\/p>\n 8′ Brazil dominating the ball<\/p>\n Patterns emerging in Houston.<\/p>\n Japan more than happy to drop deep and let Brazil stroke the ball around midfield, setting up in a 3-4-2-1, with the re-instated Junya Ito starting in the front three and captain Ritsu Doan at wingback.<\/p>\n Kaishu Sano commits a foul close to halfway, and Brazil floats a long ball into the penalty area.<\/p>\n Japanese goalkeeper\u00a0Zion Suzuki gathers.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:04am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:04am<\/p>\n 3′ Brazil fires a first shot<\/p>\n It’s Brazil who have started on the front foot in Texas, pushing forward with a solid spell of possession to get us underway.<\/p>\n And Newcastle United’s\u00a0Bruno Guimar\u00e3es fires off the first shot of the day, after picking a Japanese pocket on the edge of the penalty area.<\/p>\n However, it is deflected and well wide.<\/p>\n Guimar\u00e3es takes the subsequent corner and it’s a poor one, easily dealt with by a Japanese head.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:01am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 3:01am<\/p>\n And we’re off in Houston<\/p>\n It’s Brazil who gets us underway, kicking left to right and it their famous yellow and blue.<\/p>\n Japan in all white and wearing their change strip.<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 2:58am<\/p>\n Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 2:58am<\/p>\n Play not far off in Houston What a tantalising couple hours we have ahead of us.<\/p>\n The players have entered the arena in Houston, and we couldn’t be treated to a pair of more contrasting anthems.<\/p>\n The passionate and lively\u00a0Hino Nacional Brasileiro kicks us off, before the slow and sombre\u00a0Kimigayo follows it up.<\/p>\n The stadium is absolutely packed, filled almost entirely with yellow shirts.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-d570d742-16a1-4ca4-bd6b-f74204240a9f.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-80eb595a-6f51-4d18-b31f-33f4387c7454.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-25efa6c3-4476-4b5e-b37e-2731c764c02c.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-2e738c31-b584-470c-97d3-dadfb3fe1ff4.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-6c30d405-e05f-4a40-8270-c7e7a78e4434.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-4af696e5-7045-4797-867e-f0dcc95d4871.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n
![\"Simon](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782757274_791_lcimg-d13a2dbc-1a4b-4fa4-a967-f2a4bf135b6f.jpeg\")
Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n![\"Henry](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lcimg-ef6c386d-062f-4038-8ef6-a807c4abe06a.jpeg\")
Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 4:18am<\/p>\n