Vinicius Junior scored twice as Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 in Miami to secure top spot in Group C.

Brazil confirmed their status as Group C winners at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a commanding 3-0 victory over Scotland in Miami, while the Scots were left anxiously awaiting their fate in the race for a place among the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

The five-time world champions made the perfect start, taking the lead inside seven minutes thanks to a costly Scottish mistake. 

Scott McKenna’s attempted pass was charged down by Rayan, and the young forward showed great composure to square the ball for Vinicius Junior, who rounded Angus Gunn before calmly finishing into the empty net.

🇧🇷 Brazil have qualified for the Round of 32!#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026

Scotland gradually regained some defensive stability after the early setback, but they continued to struggle against Brazil’s relentless attacking threat. 

Vinicius thought he had doubled the advantage midway through the first half after capitalising on a mistake from Jack Hendry, only for VAR to intervene and rule out the goal for a foul in the build-up.

Despite surviving that scare, Scotland offered very little going forward during the opening period. Their only real threat came from a series of corner kicks, while Brazil controlled possession and repeatedly tested the Scottish back line with their movement and technical quality.

The pressure eventually paid off just before half-time. Bruno Guimaraes delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, and Vinicius escaped the attention of Anthony Patterson at the back post before guiding a header beyond Gunn to score his second goal of the evening and put Brazil firmly in control.

Scotland showed slightly more ambition after the restart, with Scott McTominay forcing Alisson Becker into action with a powerful header. 

However, Brazil remained dangerous every time they moved forward, and Vinicius came close to completing his hat-trick when Lucas Paqueta slipped him through on goal, only for Gunn to produce an important save.

The match was effectively settled with just over 20 minutes remaining. Guimaraes once again turned provider, shrugging off Kenny McLean before threading a precise pass into the path of Matheus Cunha, who drilled a low finish inside the right-hand post to make it 3-0 and remove any lingering doubt about the outcome.

Brazil secure their spot in the next round 🔒#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026

There was still time for one of the loudest moments of the night as Neymar made his first appearance of the tournament following injury concerns. 

Although the game’s intensity faded in the closing stages, Brazil comfortably saw out the victory to finish top of Group C. Scotland, meanwhile, must now wait nervously to discover whether their three points will be enough to secure a place in the Round of 32 as one of the competition’s best third-placed teams.