Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. takes a shot against Scotland in a 2026 World Cup group stage match Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., June 24 (UPI) -- Bagpipe wails faded as the canary yellow clad Brazilians blasted Scotland, securing first place in Group C at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday at Miami Stadium.
Vinicius Jr. toyed with the Scottish defense, stringing the ball on his boot for two scores in the first half of the 3-0 triumph. Fellow forward Matheus Cunha scored Brazil's other goal, while winger Bruno Guimaraes tallied two assists.
The Brazilians outshot the Scots 20-13 in the shutout. With his two scores, Vinicius pushed his tournament total to four, which is tied with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe for the second-most at the World Cup.
Brazil scoring leader Neymar Jr., who sat out the first two group-stage games due to a calf injury, also made his debut in the 76th minute, drawing thunderous applause from the crowd of 64,478.
