Substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored in stoppage time as Japan beat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly in Singapore on Saturday. Takefusa Kubo and Keito Nakamura put Japan 2-0 up, Vinicius Junior hit two stunning goals to level, and Raphinha was sent off after the winner.

Japan arrived in Singapore on the back of a 2-1 comeback win over Venezuela, while Brazil had thrashed India 4-0. The sides last met in October 2025, when Japan recovered from two goals down to beat Carlo Ancelotti’s team 3-2 in a friendly.

Brazil had the first sight of goal in the seventh minute, when Estevao cut inside Hiroki Ito and flashed an effort past the left-hand post. Japan soon took control, and Ritsu Doan won possession on the halfway line in the 15th minute to slip in Kubo.

Kubo cut inside Jair Cunha and finished left-footed into the bottom-right corner. Gabriel Magalhaes headed a Raphinha free-kick wide in reply, before Daizen Maeda was denied by Pedro Morisco in the 18th minute and dinked his second attempt past the post.

Japan did not wait long for a second. Shuto Nakano burst down the right and pulled the ball back from the byline, and Nakamura took a touch inside the box before sweeping into the bottom-left corner in the 19th minute, leaving Morisco stranded.

Vinicius Junior pulled one back in the 33rd minute. Estevao’s strike was thwarted by Zion Suzuki, and the rebound fell to the Real Madrid forward, who unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards into the top-left corner, with Bruno Guimaraes credited with the assist.

VAR upheld the referee’s decision to refuse Brazil a penalty in the 43rd minute, after Ao Tanaka shoved Raphinha inside the box. Andre then outmuscled Tanaka and fired from 20 yards on the stroke of half-time, but Zion Suzuki pushed it past the post.

Raphinha had a chance at the near post early in the second half, only for Zion Suzuki to save. Japan then failed to register an attempt until after the hour, and both benches made a flurry of changes between the 58th and 72nd minutes.

Sakamoto came on for Doan in the 72nd minute, and Brazil levelled three minutes later. Guimaraes played a short corner from the left, and Vinicius Junior cut inside Yukinari Sugawara before striking a brilliant finish in off the right-hand post for 2-2.

Endrick almost put Brazil ahead in the 80th minute, striking a powerful effort from 30 yards that beat Zion Suzuki but rattled the crossbar. Tempers then flared, with Vinicius Junior, Endrick and Japan’s Junnosuke Suzuki all booked in the 87th minute.

Sakamoto struck in the first minute of added time on Saturday, November 14. The Coventry City attacker met the ball from close range and drove a right-footed finish into the top-left corner as the Japan bench erupted. Raphinha was then shown a red card.

Brazil now turn their attention to a first meeting with Singapore on November 17. Japan, who were knocked out of the World Cup by Brazil in the round of 32, have now beaten Ancelotti’s side 3-2 twice in the space of a year.