After the nerveless 2-1 defeat of Norway at MetLife, Carlo Ancelotti's side face England on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals — the first Brazil–England knockout meeting since 2002.
MIAMI GARDENS — The equation is simple now. Beat England on Saturday evening and Brazil are two matches from the hexa. The squad trained at open doors on Thursday in front of several thousand yellow-shirted fans who turned the session into a rehearsal for the weekend.
The narrative writes itself. In 2002, in Shizuoka, Ronaldinho's free-kick floated over David Seaman and Brazil went on to lift a fifth title. Twenty-four years later England arrive through the harder road — a rip-roaring 3-2 win at the Azteca, most of it with ten men against the co-hosts — while Brazil's route ran through Houston and East Rutherford, where Bruno Guimaraes buried the penalty that broke Norway before Neymar sealed it at the death.
Erling Haaland's 79th-minute equaliser was a warning Ancelotti has repeated all week: 'For eleven minutes we were out of the World Cup. We do not intend to feel that again.' Harry Kane, England's captain, offers a comparable threat through the middle; the tactical battle between him and the recalled Casemiro shapes most previews on both sides of the Atlantic.
Elsewhere the bracket sharpened on Thursday: France dispatched Morocco 2-0 in Foxborough — Mbappe's eighth goal of the tournament — and await the Spain–Belgium winner. The Brazil–England victor meets Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday. Three wins from the hexa. It starts Saturday.
On 62 minutes at MetLife, with 82,000 holding their breath, Bruno Guimaraes sent Orjan Nyland the wrong way from the spot. Haaland levelled with a thumping header on 79 — and for eleven long minutes Norway smelled history — before Neymar, ice-cold in the tenth minute of stoppage time, converted the penalty that put Brazil into the last eight.
At 34, in what he admits is his last World Cup, Neymar spoke in Miami about the weight of the penalty against Norway — 'I have never felt ten seconds last that long' — and about finishing the job that started in 2014.
England's captain drops between the lines exactly where Brazil's veteran anchor lives. Ancelotti must also choose between Martinelli's directness and Rodrygo's control on the left — the same call he faced against Japan, when Martinelli answered from the bench.
Kylian Mbappe shrugged off a first-half penalty miss to curl in his eighth goal of the tournament and set up Ousmane Dembele as France booked a semi-final place in Foxborough.
Two down with 15 minutes left, the champions scored three times in 13 minutes — the winner deep in stoppage time — to reach the last eight.
Spain edged Portugal 1-0 in Arlington. Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the stage after a fifth World Cup without the trophy.
The USMNT's home World Cup ended in a lopsided round-of-16 defeat.
La Roja, fresh from ending Portugal's run, meet a Belgium side that has scored seven goals in two knockout games. Kickoff 3pm ET, Inglewood.
The holders face a Swiss side that eliminated Colombia on penalties, with Vargas converting the decisive kick. Saturday, 9pm ET, Kansas City.
Orlando Gill saved from Havertz and Woltemade as Germany lost a World Cup shootout for the first time in their history.
The Egyptian FA has asked FIFA to review decisions from the defeat to Argentina in Miami Gardens.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Morocco | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | Haiti | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
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