Brazil survived a major scare to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, defeating Japan 2-1 in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, June 29. Despite the win, one notable absentee was Neymar Jr. The Brazilian superstar remained on the bench throughout the competition, prompting questions as to why head coach Carlo Ancelotti chose not to introduce him.Explaining his decision after the match, Ancelotti revealed that he plans to use Neymar if the game goes into extra time.“I spoke to Ney (Neymar). If we don’t draw, he will come in 60 minutes. Since we drew, I preserved him for 30 minutes of extra time,” Ancelotti told the host broadcaster.With Brazil looking for a stoppage-time winner, extra time was unnecessary, meaning Neymar remained an unused substitute despite being fit enough to take part. Ancelotti later confirmed that the veteran forward had been part of his contingency plan but was ultimately not needed.Brazil will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the Norway vs Ivory Coast match at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 3.Coming into the game, Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil staged a thrilling second-half comeback to beat Japan 2-1, Japan stunned the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose ball inside his own half. Sano began a brilliant 40-yard solo sprint before drilling a fierce strike past Alisson to make it 1-0.Ancelotti also praised Japan for pushing Brazil throughout the competition and said his team needed to improve despite advancing to the knockout stage.“Japan made us suffer for ninety-five minutes. They deserve our respect, not exaggerated celebrations. Brazil is over, but we know we have to improve. Tonight we celebrate the qualification, but tomorrow we will go back to work because the World Cup is more difficult from here,” he said.