Scott McKenna's seventh-minute giveaway — robbed by Rayan in midfield — handed Vinícius Júnior the simplest of finishes, and the rest of the afternoon followed the script the Tartan Army had feared all tournament. Vinícius doubled Brazil's lead with a rare header in first-half stoppage time, and Matheus Cunha made it three on the hour mark. Neymar finally got his long-awaited return to a meaningful Brazil shirt, introduced with 14 minutes left to the loudest cheer of the night in Miami — though it was Cunha, not Neymar, who'd already done the third-goal damage.
Carlo Ancelotti struck a notably measured tone given the result. "We're now playing as a team, that was the aim," he said, before adding the caveat: "We're not perfect, we need to improve a few things — we could be quicker when we're in possession." On the bigger picture: "I'm happy because the team has improved since the opening match. Being solid is very important now that we've reached the knockout stages." Asked about Neymar's reception, Ancelotti smiled: "Neymar doesn't need any motivation to play, no player needs motivation to wear the Brazil shirt. He's 34 years old and still has the same passion as a young boy."
🛋️ The Couch predicted Scotland 1-3 Brazil — McTominay scores, Vinícius Jr brace, Neymar off the bench. Two out of three isn't bad: Vinícius did get his brace, and Neymar did come off the bench. But McTominay never broke through (Scotland didn't score at all), and Brazil's third goal belonged to Cunha, not Neymar. The bigger embarrassment, though, is structural: the preview file has this match down for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Couch was off by roughly 2,700 miles and an entire coastline — somewhere, a remote control got confused with a steering wheel.
A brace built on instinct and opportunism — first off a defensive error, then a header nobody saw coming — confirms his status as this Brazil side's most reliable matchwinner.
The Tartan Army's brave summer isn't over yet, but their fate as a possible best third-placed team now depends on how the rest of the groups fall.
He didn't need to score for Hard Rock Stadium to erupt — his introduction alone was the story Brazil's supporters had been waiting years for.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +6 | 7 |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +3 | 7 |
| 🏴 Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 0 |
Brazil and Morocco finish level on 7 points; Brazil top the group on goal difference (+6 to +3). Scotland's hopes of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams remain undecided and will depend on how the rest of the groups finish; Haiti are eliminated.