Kento Shiogai, a 21-year-old Japanese forward who plays for Wolfsburgo, stirred things up days before the match: he said Brazil was no longer strong, that Neymar “is no longer the same as before” and that France and Argentina were far above them. Big mistake. 😬
Brazil suffered at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Japan opened the scoring, the Canarinha equalized with a Casemiro header in the 56th minute, and relief only came in the 96th minute, when Martinelli scored the goal that sent them through to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Total agony. ⚽🔥
And then Matheus Cunha appeared. The Manchester United forward went straight to the Japanese stands, held up the five fingers of one hand and shouted at them: “We have five. Respect”. Five, like Brazil’s world titles. The gesture was caught by the official broadcast cameras and immediately went viral. The story has one detail that says it all: after the provocation, Cunha went to console Ao Tanaka, who had collapsed on the pitch. Football in its purest form. 🫡
Matheus Cunha going to confront the Japanese player who looked down on Brazil
— Central do Braga (@CentralDoBrega) June 29, 2026
so badass KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
pic.twitter.com/lBRYmXUIg7