Japan beat Brazil 3-2 in an international friendly in Singapore on Saturday, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scoring in the first minute of stoppage time. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti and captain Raphinha were both sent off for protesting after the winner.
Japan raced into a two-goal lead. Takefusa Kubo ran from the halfway line and beat the goalkeeper with a low shot in the 15th minute, and Keito Nakamura controlled a cross from Shuto Nakano and shot home about four minutes later.
Brazil fought back through Vinicius Junior. Shortly after the half-hour mark, he took a pass from Bruno Guimaraes outside the area and fired into the top corner to make it 2-1 before the break. Raphinha and Ancelotti had reacted angrily earlier in the half when appeals for a penalty for a foul on the Barcelona forward were turned down.
Raphinha, who started as Brazil's central striker, was replaced by Endrick in the 71st minute. With about 15 minutes left, Vinicius leveled the score with a curling long-range effort that struck the inside of the right post and crossed the line off the left post. Endrick then smashed a shot off the crossbar from distance as Brazil pushed for a winner.
Raphinha had started despite questions over his fitness. Before the game, he told reporters in Singapore that he wanted to represent Brazil whenever he was physically able to do so.
It was Japan that found it. In the first minute of added time, Sakamoto, a winger for Coventry City, pounced on a loose ball and scored from close range. Brazil protested that there had been a foul in the buildup.
Ancelotti and Raphinha were shown red cards on the touchline in the aftermath of the goal. Raphinha had already been substituted and was watching from the sidelines. He remonstrated with the fourth official as he left the field, and there were further protests from Brazil players after the final whistle, with security staff stepping in.
Brazilian fans criticized the team on social media after the game, and there were plenty of complaints about the refereeing at the end of the match. The game came in the last international window of 2026.
Brazil had eliminated Japan 2-1 in the round of 32 at the World Cup in June, but Japan, coached by Hajime Moriyasu, took its revenge. It was Japan's second win over Brazil in 13 months and its first on foreign soil. Brazil also lost 3-2 to Japan in a friendly last year.
The defeat adds to the pressure on Ancelotti, who became Brazil coach in 2025 and signed a contract extension through the 2030 World Cup earlier this year. Brazil are due to face Singapore in another friendly on November 17, and the team will need to assess Raphinha's availability after his dismissal.
