Japan Stuns Brazil 3-2 with Stoppage-Time Winner as Ancelotti and Raphinha Are Sent Off

Substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s late winner helps Japan avenge their World Cup round-of-32 loss to Brazil.

Published on 15 November 2026

Brazil forward Raphinha and coach Carlo Ancelotti were shown red cards for dissent after protesting a referee’s decision during the South American side’s shock loss to Japan in an entertaining friendly in Singapore.

Substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored his first international goal with a late winner on Saturday as Japan edged Brazil 3-2 at the National Stadium.

A brilliant brace from Vinicius Jr. erased a two-goal deficit after strikes by Takefusa Kubo and Keito Nakamura put the Samurai Blue 2-0 ahead within the opening 19 minutes.

Sakamoto was in the right place to fire home from a deflected effort by Kodai Sano in stoppage time, securing a dramatic victory for the Asian side before 38,688 spectators.

Brazil appealed for a foul in the buildup to the goal, but VAR upheld it, and Raphinha and manager Ancelotti were sent off for their protests.

Ancelotti appeared surprised by the decision while Raphinha was escorted away by midfielder Marlon Gomes and team officials as he tried to approach referee Jansen Foo, who was instead confronted by Vinicius Jr. and Bruno Guimarães.

“The referee gave me a red card because he said I was unable to control the bench and that all the players were on the field,” Ancelotti said at a news conference.

“It is a shame about the result because we do not like to lose, but we have to look at what we did well. There are many positives. Some players making their first appearances showed good quality. For 70 minutes, the team played well.”

“The result was obviously influenced by the referee’s performance … but it is not his fault. It was a high-level match, and I do not think he had the experience to handle this kind of game.”

Raphinha Apologises for His Behaviour

Raphinha remained furious over the “unacceptable” red card as he criticized the referee’s decisions while speaking to reporters after the match.

“First of all, I would like to apologize for my behavior and for being sent off,” Raphinha said.

“Sometimes it is difficult to stay calm, especially after what I felt were so many refereeing errors during the match. I tried to speak to him several times, and not once did I feel he was open to discussion. I believe he made many errors throughout the game, and that is unacceptable,” the Brazil captain said.

“In my view, their first goal involved a foul when the opponent took the ball from me with his hand. I think it was a foul, but I can understand why it was not given under the current law. Then there was the penalty in the first half. In my opinion, it was a penalty, but he said no.”

“Then, for their third goal, there was a clear foul on Joao Gomes. With the help of VAR, he eventually allowed the goal. It is very difficult not to talk about the refereeing.”

The victory carried added significance for Japan, which suffered a heartbreaking exit to Brazil in the World Cup round of 32 in June. On that occasion, Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to complete a 2-1 comeback win for the South Americans.

“I am happy to say that today’s match was the best match of my eight-year tenure,” Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu said after the game.

“Brazil’s intensity increased once we took the lead, and it became a matter of what we could do then.”

“Our players performed at the world’s top standard. These wins lead to victories at the World Cup, and I hope they continue to do the same,” Moriyasu added.

The 58-year-old is expected to step down after a friendly against Paraguay on Tuesday and said he looks forward to handing over to successor Go Oiwa.

“Now I need to pass the baton to the next coach, and that is all I am focusing on.”

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