The Brazilian national team is gearing up for a difficult match against Scotland.
Brazil and Scotland will face off in a high-stakes Group C match Wednesday, with a chance to advance to the Round of 32 on the line. The match is particularly important for Brazil, as it could see the return of Neymar Júnior from injury.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti complimented Scotland’s star power and toughness at a press conference on Tuesday evening.
“[It will be a] difficult game, as usual,” Ancelotti said. “Because Scotland has quality, they are fighters, they play really well-organized. They have a good players, good individuality. [Midfielder Scott] McTominay, [midfielder John] McGinn, that are experienced players, that are used to this kind of game. It will be a difficult game, as usual, because, I think easy games at the World Cup finished a long time ago. We are ready to play a difficult game.”
Scotland has gone 1–1 so far in the first round. It won its first outing against Haiti 1–0 on June 13, then lost 0–1 to Morocco on June 19. Brazil, meanwhile, tied Morocco 1–1 in their opening tilt, then thrashed Haiti 3–0 to eliminate them from the tournament.
The match has high stakes for both teams. Brazil would win Group C outright with a win on Wednesday and Haiti defeating or tying Morocco in their match. If Morocco wins, Brazil would have to advance on overall goal differential; if the two countries are tied in differential, the tiebreaker would be settled by number of goals scored; if they score the same number of goals, the tie is decided by Fair Play ranking. If the two teams are equal in Fair Play ranking, Brazil will advance because they rank above Morocco in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Should they advance to the Round of 32, Brazil will play the Group F runners-up in Houston on June 29.
Brazil is currently plus-3 in goal differential, with 4 goals scored; Morocco trails at plus-1 with 2 goals.
If Morocco beats Haiti and finishes above Brazil in goal differential, or number of goals scored, or Fair Play ranking, Brazil would advance as the Group C runner-up. They would also advance if they draw with Scotland and Morocco wins. Even in the event of a loss, Brazil could still advance if they finish in goal differential, or number of goals; even if all those numbers are equal, Brazil would still advance based on their higher FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Brazil would then match up with the Group F winners on June 29 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Scotland has a simpler path to the next round, but by no means an easier one. They are guaranteed a spot in the Round of 32 if they win on Wednesday. If they win and Haiti defeats or ties Morocco, Scotland will advance as Group C winners and head to Houston next week. They will qualify as Group C runner-up and head to Monterrey if both they and Morocco win.
Scotland is even in goal differential and lags slightly behind Brazil and Morocco at 3 points to their 4.
Wednesday’s matchup is also important for Brazil because it could potentially be the World Cup debut of Brazilian superstar Neymar Júnior. Neymar suffered an injury in late May that has sidelined him for the pre-tournament matches and the first two tilts in group play. Ancelotti said Tuesday that Neymar is ready to go.
“Neymar is available,” Ancelotti said. “He trained well this week, prepared well for the match, and can play alongside the other players, and we are all very happy that he is back because obviously his quality can help the team.”
Ancelotti said that Neymar would be available for the full 90 minutes. If he does return, it would mark his first play in international competition since 2023, when he tore his ACL during World Cup qualifying play.
“He’s doing well,” Ancelotti said. “He’s worked very hard, trained very well, and I’m very happy with him.”
