Martinelli's Last-Minute Heroics Propel Brazil to Last 16

Gabriel Martinelli stepped off the bench and into World Cup folklore, smashing a 96th‑minute winner as Brazil clawed their way back to beat Japan 2-1 and reach the last 16.

One swing of his right boot. One kiss off the post. One nation exhaling.

Martinelli’s moment in Houston

Introduced late with the tie on a knife edge in Houston, the Arsenal winger delivered the kind of cold-blooded finish that separates survival from regret at this level. It was his first World Cup goal, scored deep into stoppage time of his second finals, and it arrived just when Brazil’s composure threatened to fray.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had trailed at the break. Japan, sharp and fearless, struck first on 29 minutes when Kaishu Sano punished Brazil, putting the Samurai Blue in front and briefly silencing the Brazilian end.

Brazil needed a response after the interval. They found it 11 minutes into the second half.

Gabriel, again trusted from the start and ever-present through all four of Brazil’s games at this tournament, stepped up with a gorgeous delivery from the left. His cross arced beyond the Japanese back line and dropped perfectly at the far post, where Casemiro arrived to power a header past Zion Suzuki. A defender’s technique, a midfielder’s finish, and suddenly the pressure shifted.

The game tightened. Nerves crept in. Every misplaced touch drew a groan, every interception a roar. Ancelotti turned to his bench and sent for Martinelli, doubling the Arsenal influence on the pitch and gambling on fresh legs and sharp instincts.

The gamble paid out in the 96th minute.

A goal made in the Premier League

The winner was carved straight out of the Premier League playbook. Bournemouth’s Rayan snapped into a challenge on the edge of the Japanese box, wrestling back possession in a dangerous area. The ball broke to Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle United’s captain and midfield metronome, who didn’t hesitate.

One look. One pass.

He slid an inch-perfect ball between defenders and into Martinelli’s stride. The angle was tight, the clock almost gone, the stakes enormous. Martinelli took a touch, opened his body and drilled low across Suzuki. The shot skimmed off the inside of the post and nestled in the net.

Bedlam.

Afterwards, still riding the adrenaline, Martinelli admitted he struggled to process it all: he spoke of the joy in his heart, of seeing the Brazilian people and his family celebrating, of a previous effort that had come back off the post and the belief he’d get another chance. This time, the post was on his side.

The goal was his fifth for Brazil on his 26th cap. Gabriel, now on 21 caps, continues to anchor the back line and has started every World Cup game so far. Both have grown into their roles on the international stage; both will have the chance to add to their tallies in the next round.

Brazil now await Norway or Ivory Coast on Sunday. That tie carries an extra twist: a potential meeting with Martin Odegaard, and with it a guarantee of Arsenal representation in the quarter-finals.

Havertz strikes, Germany fall

While Brazil surged, Germany stumbled again on the World Cup stage.

Kai Havertz found the net in regulation time but still walked away devastated, as Germany went out to Paraguay on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Julio Enciso had given Paraguay a 42nd-minute lead, a blow that rattled Germany just before half-time. Havertz dragged them back into it, timing his run into the box and meeting a Florian Wirtz cross with a firm header to level the match.

Germany pushed. Jonathan Tah thought he had turned the night around in extra-time, only to see his goal ruled out. The game crept towards the inevitable: a shootout, history and pressure weighing heavily on German shoulders.

This time, the aura deserted them.

Paraguay held their nerve from the spot. Germany did not. Havertz was one of three players to miss in the shootout, his earlier equaliser wiped away by the cold arithmetic of penalties and another early exit.

When it was over, his words were raw. He spoke of being speechless, of a second World Cup gone wrong, of recent tournaments described bluntly as a disaster. He apologised, pointed the finger at the players, and talked of the need for a long, hard look in the mirror for a team representing a country with such a rich football history.

Two nights, two very different emotions. Martinelli rides the wave into the last 16. Havertz goes home asking how many more chances this generation will get.