The Brazil national team is preparing for the match against Japan in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. It will be the first time since Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti took over in May 2025 that he will keep the same XI in the same match instead of switching from back to front. Brazil's coaching staff have said they are considering keeping the team unchanged after their impressive performance against Scotland in their final group stage match. Ryan replaces Rafinha as Rafinha is still sidelined with a hamstring injury. Brazil have not fielded the same XI for the last 825 days. The last time this was done was during Dorival Junior, when the same XI was fielded in friendlies against England and Spain. Brazil's probable XI for the knockout phase will be: Goalkeeper: Alisson, Defenders: Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhas, Douglas Santos, Midfielders: Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Lucas Paqueta, Forwards: Ryan, Matteus Cunha and Vinicius Junior. So, what do you think, is this the best XI of Brazil? Let me know in the comments, what kind of XI would you like to field in the knockout stage match against Japan? Off the field, tensions rose due to a controversial comment by Japanese forward Kento Shiogai. "Neymar is not Neymar anymore. I think we are in a better position," Shiogai said after a training session in Japan. He also questioned Brazil's current form. Shiogai said, "Brazil was very strong before, but what now? I think France is very strong, Argentina too. But I haven't heard much about Brazil lately." Although these comments are controversial, Shiogai admits that Brazil are still a big team and a win against Brazil will help boost their morale for the rest of the tournament. Match Information: Brazil vs Japan (Knockout Stage Match) Date: June 29, 2026 Time: 2 PM Bangladesh Time Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, USA
