Gabriel Martinelli's Last-Minute Winner Sends Brazil to Last 16
Gabriel Martinelli stepped off the bench and into Brazilian World Cup folklore, snatching a 96th-minute winner as Brazil came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 and book their place in the last 16.
One chance. One clean strike. Job done.
The Arsenal winger, only introduced late on in Houston, showed ice-cold composure in the dying seconds to score his first World Cup goal at his second finals, dragging the Selecao over the line on a night that threatened to turn sour.
Brazil rocked, then rescued
Carlo Ancelotti’s side walked into the interval staring at trouble. Japan, sharp and fearless, struck first in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano punished Brazil and put the Samurai Blue in front, a goal that sent a jolt through the five-time champions.
Brazil needed a response and, after the restart, they finally produced one. Eleven minutes into the second half, Gabriel – ever present at this tournament – delivered a superb cross from the right. It begged to be finished. Casemiro obliged, rising at the back post to head in and drag Brazil level.
The goal settled Brazil but never killed Japan’s belief. The game hung on a knife-edge, the stadium caught between anxiety and expectation.
Martinelli’s moment
Ancelotti turned to his bench. On came Martinelli, doubling the Arsenal footprint on the pitch and changing the tone of the night.
Deep into stoppage time, with extra-time looming, came a move that could have been lifted straight from a Premier League weekend. Bournemouth’s Rayan snapped into a challenge on the edge of the box, won the ball cleanly and immediately looked forward. He found Bruno Guimaraes, the Newcastle United captain, who threaded a precise, weighted pass through the tightest of gaps.
Martinelli didn’t snatch at it. He took one touch, opened his body and slid a ruthless finish past Zion Suzuki. The ball clipped the post on its way in, adding a heartbeat of tension before it nestled in the net.
Brazil’s bench exploded. So did Martinelli.
Afterwards, still riding the adrenaline, he tried to put it into words: he spoke of the joy in his heart, of seeing Brazilian fans and his family celebrating, of the frustration of hitting the post days earlier and the belief he’d get another chance. This time, he took it. It was his fifth international goal, on the night of his 26th cap.
Gabriel, the provider of the earlier assist, moved to 21 caps, having started all four of Brazil’s World Cup games so far. Both have become central pieces in Ancelotti’s puzzle.
On Sunday, they can add more. Brazil now await Norway or Ivory Coast in the next round, a tie that could pit them against Martin Odegaard and guarantee Arsenal representation in the quarter-finals.
Havertz scores, then suffers
While Brazil celebrated escape, Germany lived another World Cup nightmare.
Kai Havertz did his part in normal time, but it still ended in heartbreak as Germany fell to Paraguay on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Julio Enciso had given Paraguay a 42nd-minute lead, a shock that Germany struggled to fully shake. Havertz dragged them back into it, timing his run perfectly and meeting a cross from Florian Wirtz with a firm header to level the match.
Germany pushed. Jonathan Tah thought he had completed the turnaround in extra-time, only to see his goal ruled out. The game marched to penalties, and that’s where the collapse came.
Havertz, one of three German players to miss from the spot, could only apologise afterwards. He called himself speechless, lamented a second straight World Cup failure, and didn’t hide from the scale of the disappointment. He spoke of recent tournaments as “a disaster” and said the players must take a long, hard look at themselves, reminding everyone that they represent a country with a rich football history.
Brazil move forward, fuelled by late drama and rising Arsenal influence. Germany go home, again, asking how a football giant keeps stumbling on the biggest stage.
