Vinícius Júnior scored twice and Matheus Cunha added a goal as Brazil secured a 3-0 victory over Scotland in their Group C match on Wednesday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The result ensured Brazil’s progression to the knockout stage of the tournament. Vinícius, who has now scored in all three of Brazil’s group matches, opened the scoring in the seventh minute and doubled the lead just before halftime. His tally of four goals in the group phase places him alongside Kylian Mbappé of France and Erling Haaland of Norway, trailing Lionel Messi’s tournament-leading five goals by one.
Neymar made his World Cup debut for Brazil in the 76th minute, returning from a right calf injury that sidelined him for the team’s first two matches. The majority-Brazilian crowd at Hard Rock Stadium enthusiastically welcomed the 34-year-old forward, who entered as a substitute and began warming up with sprints along the sideline before joining the action. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 130 international appearances, has featured in each of the last three World Cups, compiling eight goals in those tournaments.
Scotland, appearing in its first World Cup since 1998, remains one of the tournament’s more engaging teams. The Scottish supporters, known as the Tartan Army, brought a lively atmosphere to their team’s matches in Boston and Miami, though Scotland was unable to secure points against Brazil.
Elsewhere, Group B saw Switzerland advance to the knockout stage with a 2-1 win over Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored for Switzerland, while Promise David netted a late goal for Canada. Both teams secured spots in the round of 16, with Canada reaching this stage for the first time in its history.
In Group A, Mexico completed a perfect group run by defeating the Czech Republic 3-0. Goals from Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones, scored within six minutes early in the second half, helped Mexico win all three of its group matches for the first time in a World Cup.
South Africa also advanced to the knockout round for the first time, narrowly defeating South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Bosnia-Herzegovina improved its knockout chances with a 3-1 Group B victory over Qatar in Seattle, eliminating the host nation from further contention.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi marked his 39th birthday by celebrating with teammates at Argentina’s training base in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina, the defending champion, has already secured advancement to the knockout stage, with Messi holding the tournament’s record for most career goals.
Additional developments included a five-match suspension issued to Qatar’s Assim Madibo following a dangerous tackle and the anticipated return of Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi to the starting lineup amid ongoing betting-related investigations.