Casemiro found the back of the net in the 56th minute against Japan on June 29, leveling the score at 1-1 in a Round of 32 clash. It was the veteran midfielder’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
For a player with 89 international caps and 9 goals heading into the tournament, the strike was less a surprise than a reminder. At 34, Casemiro is still the kind of player who shows up when elimination is on the line.
A tournament where Brazil entered as underdogs
Casemiro acknowledged on June 3, before the tournament kicked off, that Brazil entered the 2026 World Cup as non-favorites. The World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19, 2026, is the first edition with 48 teams and an expanded bracket. Brazil had already navigated the group stage successfully, with Vinícius Júnior providing a goal against Morocco in an earlier fixture.
The goal itself and why it mattered
